WOD Gear Clothing Co. Sponsors Youngest Crossfit Competitor Valerie Calhoun

The Reebok CrossFit Games are over but don't fret there is more to come! WOD Gear Clothing Co. in Pasadena, California is hosting the 2nd annual WOD Gear Team Series on July 28th. More than 70 teams will compete at the Rose Bowl Stadium drawing 3,000 or more spectators.







WOD Gear Clothing Co is sponsoring 17 year old Valerie Calhoun from Northern California. She is one of the world’s youngest female Crossfit competitors. I had the pleasure (via email) of interviewing book author, CrossFitter and co-owner of WOD Gear, Gabriel Pelino and Crossfit competitor Valerie Calhoun.

Gabriel -It's great to meet you even through email. You are doing so much for the Crossfit community. While researching for this email interview I have been "pinning" a lot of your clothing line on my Pinterest Crossfit board and people love it! It's spreading through the Crossfit community there too. I must confess that the kids line is my favorite! Those are some really cute ideas.

The Reebok Crossfit Games has just wrapped up. The games are so inspiring to watch. How does your WOD Gear Team series set itself apart from the Reebok Crossfit Games? or would you say that the team series is an addition to the games?
I believe that our event is "unique" in itself because we are only a "team" competition and we did that by design.  We feel that the team aspect is an extension of community which CrossFit is all about and which we try to emulate as a brand.  Also, being on a team gives many individuals the opportunity to compete who may not be ready to compete on their own.  There is a strength that comes with being around others that you know will be there to support you and lift you up.  Finally, the "Games" are for the elite in the CrossFit arena.  Our event is open to all regardless of where they are in their CrossFit journey.  We know that CrossFitter's love to compete so we wanted to create a venue that would give those, who may never make it to the games, an opportunity to give their all in a venue such as the Rose Bowl.  It just so happens that we also have individuals, who participated in the games, participating on teams in our upcoming event.  We are really excited! 

WOD Gear Clothing Co is currently sponsoring Valerie Calhoun. What was it about her that made your company decide to sponsor her as part of the team?  
We first met Valerie and an event here in Southern California over a year ago.  We were so taken by her and blown away at this young girl competing with women twice her age.  We started to talk with her and her mother and just fell in love with the both of them. We just put it out there and asked if she would like to be a part of our team which we really like to call a family.  She said yes and the rest is history!

I was incredibly touched after reading about the book you authored American Daddy: A Father's Heart Revealed. As a parent do you use Crossfit as a model of health and fitness for your children? Does the box that you work out at have a Crossfit Kids? Do you or would you allow your children to become involved in Crossfit Kids? 

Creating American Daddy was such a labor of love for me!  I do preach "CrossFit" to my children which are 6 and 15.  Both my wife, Denise, and I love to take our younger son to the box with us.  He loves the atmosphere and you can always find him swinging from the rings as well as setting up his own obstacle course incorporating burpees or box jumps.  My wife is also a CrossFit Kids certified coach so our kids can't escape it.  My older son spends most of his time on his guitar which he is quite talented at.  I would love both of my kids to get involved when one of our boxes incorporates CrossFit Kids into their teaching.   

Is it possible that the WOD Gear Team series will ever include kids teams to compete?
Yes...we have been in talks about how to incorporate that in the future.  We know that the kids are the future of CrossFit and we want to create a place for them as well as the adults.  

In your Bio on the website it says that your favorite WOD/Movement is double unders. Please tell me how you mastered them? Some of the forums discuss their favorite jump ropes to help them master it! Do you have a favorite?

I was really fortunate that Double Unders came easy to me.  I was always pretty good at jumping rope so I just took to them.  It really helps me during WOD's where I struggle.  I would say that my favorite is one of the speed ropes.  I don't really have a brand that I am behind but enjoy the wire type of rope with small handles. 

Which movements are you still working on?

I was afraid you would ask this question...:)  I am terrible at the overhead squat!  I have no flexibility at all when I have the bar over my head.  It is such a difficult movement for me.  What is ironic is that I am pretty strong when it comes to push presses and things like that, for an older guy, but I have no strength in this movement.  I need a lot of practice! 

Are you involved in deciding which WODs to include in the games? I play a small role in that area.  We have an amazing team that we have brought together to help us in that area. They consist of my business partner and four other individuals who own CrossFit gyms or are coaches.  This is what they do on a day-to-day basis so I leave it in their hands.  I will take a look and get the information on the final WOD's but really leave it up to my team.  I trust them and they do an amazing job! 

What do you find is the most rewarding part of creating the WOD Gear Team series?  
There is noting like bringing a community together!  The CrossFit community is filled with special individuals and being around them is so rewarding!   

Thank you for your time Gabriel. I wish I was there to watch it in person! Will there be any live coverage? Maybe on UStream?  
Thank you Pamela for this opportunity!  I am so grateful!!!  We won't be streaming this year but as we grow we will most definitely have the desire for that.  Wish you could make it.  It's going to be one heck of a time! 

 Valerie - It's great to meet you even through email. I have read your other interviews and watched video footage to help me learn a little more about you and hopefully not repeat a lot of the same questions that you have already been asked. I'm in my second year of Crossfit and when I see you and think about how long you have been doing it, I think "WOW, How lucky she is!" You have your youth on your side! I know that you have discussed age being a factor in the beginning, the intimidation of competing against more seasoned CrossFitters.

Now that you have been competing do you feel that other women are now intimidated by you, with your youth, speed, strength and now 3-4 years worth of training?
Intimidated by me? No. But I feel they look at me as a good competitor. I've been competing for a few years now and I don't think people look at my age a whole lot anymore. Youth has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is being young and recovering quickly, but the disadvantage is that my body isn't fully developed yet and still the lack of experience.

Coming from the world of gymnastics and having your bone fragment condition, have you had any problems with any of the Crossfit movements (hand stands, muscle ups, etc,.)?

Coming off my injury with gymnastics I do not have the same elbow issues I used to have. The constant pounding and over training in gymnastics is what caused it however I do not have problems with any Crossfit movements thankfully.

In a video interview your trainer was discussing your diet and that he was having you text him everything you eat. I would imagine that your diet would be Paleo or very close to clean eating. What has been the hardest food to give up? or do you still indulge every now and then?
In regards to my diet, my main focus is on eating more. I admit I have a bad habit of eating too little even while I workout a lot which is why I'm starting to eat a lot more tri tip, steak, and chicken. I do allow myself to indulge sometimes because I still want to enjoy some foods and I know I will burn it off. For the most part I normally stay pretty clean with my eating but I'm definitely not perfect.

When you a train at a box the members and trainers become like a second family to us. I think that is what separates Crossfit from a lot of other gyms. In my experience my husband tried it a couple times with me at Crossfit Unity but gave up and I mostly Crossfit alone. Although my son would like to join. What about you? Does anyone in your family train at Rocklin Crossfit with you?
Every person at a Crossfit box becomes like family which is what I love about Crossfit. I got my mom to start about a year ago and she's been hooked ever since! She loves taking a class together and I'm glad she loves Crossfit!

Some weeks the WODs, they get me! My times are really slow or for some reason I have to go light on my weights. What about you? Do you ever have weeks or days like that?
Of course everyone has their off days. Luckily, I haven't had an off day in awhile and don't  get them often but either way it's normal. When I have an off day I push through it even if I don't want to and afterwards I'm glad I did it.


How did you come about being sponsored by WOD Gear Clothing Co?
In regards to Wod Gear, I actually met Gabe, owner of WOD Gear, a couple years ago at a competition in 2010 OC Throwdown. We talked and he introduced me to WOD Gear and since then I've been part of their family. The WOD Gear community is very supporting and is just a great group of people.


I read that you train up to 4 times a week during the school season and 6 during the summer. Are you doing special WODs to train or are you doing what every other member is doing that comes to the box that day?  Many of us will stay after to work on double unders or box jumps just things that need improvement. What weaknesses if any do you work on?
For my training I do not just focus on just the regular class wods everyday. I do a lot of metcons, throw in some chippers, and I focus on skill work as well. I worked on muscle up to a ring handstand pushup and got them a couple weeks ago! My weaknesses that I work on include row, wall balls, and heavy deadlifts.

Many people that don't Crossfit get really intimidated when they watch the Crossfit Games and competitions. They immediately think, " I can't do that!" What do you say to those people?
To those people who doubt themselves after watching the Crossfit Games, I would say don't let others intimidate you and most importantly in the end you're competing against yourself so as long as you give 100% you can't ask for more!

Training involves some discomfort and soreness. What do you do for your own recovery?
For my own recovery I give my body time to rest and heal which I believe is super important. It's all about listening to your body.

Is your end goal to be the Fittest Woman on Earth?
My end goal is definitely to compete individually at the Crossfit Games and a dream would be to be the Fittest Woman on Earth. I definitely have a lot of work to do to get there but Crossfits what I love to do!


Thank you for taking the time to answer questions Valerie! Best of luck to you and your team during the games.

For more information about the WOD Gear Team Competition click on the hyperlink!

Before and After - Crossfit

Renee Ross caught me on Facebook today and she asked me to find a photo before Crossfit. Boy did I have to do some digging for that one but I found it. So here you have it a before back in September of 2010 and one taken just today.

Oddly enough I did some more digging and found my weight and measurements too. In nearly two years I'm 12 pounds down. Seriously? You would think it would be so much more than that. According to my measurements my arms and chest are the same. My waist is down 1.5 inches, hips 1 inch and my legs are the same. Really? I'm gonna have to go think on this one. I work extremely hard. In 2011 I spent the entire year running for crying out loud. I'm not going to rehash all the training that I have done. I'm not sure what to think about these results.

#Mamavation Monday - Passing The Torch

I'm not a proud Mama or anything! :)   That is my son climbing that rope. Our box has a Crossfit Kids class and this was his first time. He fell in love and is very excited to go back again. He's not in any sports right now so this is a great way to get out all that preteen hormone stuff. He would just like it to be twice a week instead of once a week.

My workouts are pretty much 6 days a week now. I'm staying after for rowing and now switching to jump ropes. I'm having a lot of foot problems. I may stop jumping and running all together until I heal completely. That might just drive me crazy but my problems aren't getting better but worse.

I'm starting to focus more on my form and scaling back the weights and just foregoing the speed. One thing at a time. I'm back tracking, learning from my experience and trying not to get wrapped up in anything other than what I can do. It's hard to do. On that note - I'm also realizing how much I hate focusing on weight loss. I began Crossfit to train for the Spartan Race. I like training for something. I don't like focusing on the scale every single week. I have watched a 6 pound loss but didn't maintain it. It sucks.

I have my replacement Fitbit so I'm back on track there! I'm so happy. I designed a couple of Crossfit shoes while I was on the Reebok website. Now if I could just scrape up the money to buy them. Squeal!

Eating out: Chick-fil-a (twice), Mongolian BBQ

My Work Outs this past week-

7/9 Monday - Crossfit, rowing

7/10 Tuesday - Crossfit, rowing

7/11 Wednesday - Crossfit, rowing
7/12 Thursday - Crossfit, rowing

7/13 Friday - Crossfit, rowing

7/14 Saturday - Crossfit, Jumping Rope
7/15 Sunday -Rest Day

Scale Reading- 166 which is a - 4 pound loss. It's hard for me to see it. I think the stress just sits in my belly.

Stress Level -Very high....it's always high, I wonder if this is hindering my weight loss. My mind doesn't relax. I can put that positive spin on anything but there is a LOT that I can't talk about. Maybe holding it in isn't helping either.

The UP side - Fitcation is coming!

Injury prevention is important!

Be a good role model.
A special reminder for us all...

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

• The long term goal 37 pounds by the end of the year.
• The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month. 
• January 172 - 160 = 12 pound loss (this is Paleo!)
• February 165 - 161 = 4 pound loss
• March 166- 165 = 1 pound loss
• April 165 - 162 = 3 pound loss
• May 163 -164 = 1 pound gain
• June 165 -163 - 2 pound loss
• July 164 -
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

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Memes-#WordlessWednesday-Terminator Pose

Some days it's worth being late for Wordless Wednesday. My trainer captured this one during today's work out of the day. I took a moment to pray! I was near the last round and I just wanted to give up. I was tired and felt so weak. I just wasn't feeling it at all. He posted this on Facebook with a link to the Terminator pose. Nice!

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Memes-#Wordless Wednesday-The Tuck Squat

I'm pretty proud of this shot! It's tough to get an action shot with my iPhone. I think I need a better photo app. Any way this is my Crossfit trainer doing a tuck squat demonstration. He's got some serious flight!

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Crossfit Daze-Get Your Plank On!

 

Oh the brutality! I'm trying the method of do it right, do it light. I'm having such a hard time lifting my own body weight. It's really interesting what happens in Crossfit. At one point you are expected to not just lift your own body weight but more than your body weight. What ends up happening is that on the one hand you want to get stronger so you can lift more, on the other hand you want to lose weight so you can become faster. It's all intertwined. For some reason this hadn't occurred to me before.

We are trying to do these two limb planks! It's fun enough trying to hold a plank but you want us to only use two limbs. Sadistic I tell you. I didn't want to post the photo of the dual overhead kettle bell 20 second hold. You either have to be a friend of mine on Facebook or a Friend of CrossfitUnity to see that nonsense. Good news to report though! I'm moving from the black band to the green band. That's progress! Last year I was on orange. My toes to bar are almost there if I freaking swing like a monkey! rofl... I'm coming along. Good times....

#Mamavation Monday/Crossfit Daze/Juneathon.com-Day 4

It's a three for one post. Can you handle it? Sure you can! Isn't this an awesome photo! Don't you love the anguish in my face. Seriously after you belong to a gym that keeps a record of you and this is going on year number two you just become immune. Is it flattering? Um, NO! not at all but this is what it's really like. There is some serious talking going on inside that head. This is only 75lbs. which probably isn't even beginner weight. I'm working on my back and working on getting down in that full squat. I can hold more but it's not about the weight it's about the squat. The WOD 21-15-9 front squats and hand clap push ups! Unless your me and then you take it to the knees and just push up because you can't get that clap thing going.

I'm up for a new challenge for June it's Juneathon.com which is basically do some form of fitness every day and blog about it. It seems like a good way to get back into running and everything else that I was doing before I got hurt. Summer is here! I have to keep up with kids. It's Day 4 of the challenge.

Today in the gym my Silly was messing around and she asked, "Mommy can you do a cartwheel?" I wasn't sure so I headed for the mat and went for it. Lucky for me I can still do one. There is nothing more disappointing than not being able to keep up with your kids when they want to play with you. I get tickled at the side line parents. Here they are yelling at their kids, "RUN!!! RUN FASTER!" they don't even run themselves. Sure they are kids and yes they can run, fast even but it's just funny to me. It's a personal preference for me to stay in shape so I can run with my kids. I try to keep up as best I can.

40 is coming for me on Sunday. Half of my life is gone or is that at 50? Either way it's put me in a mind set of what do I want to do with the time I have left? I'm aging, of course we are always aging but this is the time when things are heading more toward the downhill. The eyes are starting to see a little less clearer, my body is changing in ways I don't even want to deal with. It's happening so I just need to figure out how to feel my best physically, mentally and spiritually.
My spiritual side says....let God lead the way. Stick with acts of service and he will lead you to do what you are suppose to do from here on out.
My physical side says...hurry up and drop this weight, life is too short to live it over weight. There are so many more things you will be able to do! Like do a triathlon, half marathon or really whatever I want! The silver fox is coming. I'm not going to get any kind of Mommy makeover under a knife so I better get to work.
My mental side says...life is too short to be unhappy! Weed out those people that make you miserable or distance yourself as much as possible. Keep working the money will come! You are an educated woman just keep learning and doing what you are passionate about.

Then I go through the check list of my life like a resume.
Married...check.
Kids...check.
College Degrees...check.
Car...check.
House...check.
Dogs...check.
Church...check.
Friends...check.
etc....etc...etc...you get the idea. Lot's on my mind, clearly.

Eating out: NONE! yet....

My Work Outs this past week-

5/28 Monday - Crossfit - Memorial Day Murph

5/29 Tuesday - Crossfit

5/30 Wednesday - Crossfit

6/1 Thursday - Rest

6/2 Friday - Crossfit

6/3 Saturday - Crossfit

6/4 Sunday -Jump Rope

Scale Reading-  Two pound loss fighting with water weight.The more I work out the more I weigh on the scale. Muscle? or is it because I'm eating more because I'm working out more? Damn bread.

Stress Level - Still high -Things just aren't great. That's all I can say.

The UP side - I look better in a bathing suit this year than I did last year. lol

Injury prevention is important!

Be a good role model.
A special reminder for us all...

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

• The long term goal 37 pounds by the end of the year.
• The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month. 
• January 172 - 160 = 12 pound loss
• February 165 - 161 = 4 pound loss
• March 166- 165 = 1 pound loss
• April 165 - 162 = 3 pound loss
• May 163 -164 = 1 pound gain
• June 165 -
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

 

Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

Crossfit-Daze-Coming Back For More!

If you show up the day after a Murph workout you must have some sort of issue or you showed Murph who was boss and it was a cakewalk. Honestly, I took a look at my week and I knew I better get in the gym because my schedule is going to be crazy. If my me time is in the afternoon ok, if I have to switch it up and go in the morning that's ok too. I don't really like working out at night but I will if it's the only time I can get it in.

Today I'm barely moving. Every muscle in my body is sore. I normally take Bayer back and pain reliever for days like today. I'm ready for an Epsom salt bath! For today's WOD (work out of the day) if you are new to the Crossfit lingo we had to do 80 clean and press with a kettle bell in between 3,4, or 5 reps of burpees. We got to pick our poison. Considering my limited movement I knew that the beginner would be too light for me (10lb kettle bell) so I went with intermediate. I have used the lightest weight during a work out and believe it or not hurt myself a lot worse. It had something to do with not having enough resistance, and I learned my lesson.

For me it was an 18lb kettle bell and 4 burpees, it's the intermediate route. What Shaun did was start the clock - GO! I did four burpees and then immediately start on the clean and press with the kettle bell counting reps. The minute is up! Bam get back on the floor for another round of 4 burpees when you finish pick up the kettle bell and pick up where you left off. This went on and on and it hurt so badly. Nothing worse than losing your form in the middle of a burpee. If you let your back sway instead of holding in your core it will mess you up badly.

My time to complete 80 clean and press with a kettle bell was 11 minutes and 15 seconds. The real deal is I made it to 79 and Shaun said, "Burpees!" and I said, "NO I'm counting this rep!" and I stopped. Really I should have dropped and given four more burpees and then the one rep but honestly it wasn't going to happen. My shoulder blades are fried and every muscle in my body is complaining. I'm going to give myself a break and call it good.

My plan for these posts is only to post when Shaun captures me. The photos prompt me to write and I find it easier to do it this way. The shot is obviously of me in midair during the tail end of a burpee. I love those huge arm pit sweat spots! At least you know I'm working hard right? I had no idea I got that kind of height. Pretty cool if you ask me. Until next time...

Crossfit-Daze-Memorial Day Murph

Hello Murph, so we meet again. This is the day Crossfitters around the world honor those who have served. I remember this from last year but not well enough. I wish I would have looked up my time or remembered what the WOD was because it would have helped.
I thought I was going to be smart and break it up by 4 rounds. What was I thinking? That was the worst idea ever and I'll bet you I did the same thing last year. NO break that up if you can even more. Even with a black band for pull ups and girlie knee push ups it didn't matter. Murph reminded me who was boss.

By round two I was starring at all the sweat on the floor that was accumulating. It was awful. I didn't think I was going to make it. There were words that left my mouth that were very unlady like. Good thing what happens at the gym, stays at the gym. While I'm on my 175th push up I had to take a break and pray to Jesus. Yes you bet I did. It took everything that I had to finish. I could hear people telling me that I was almost done, "Come on Pam!" Ugh! I'm here until I finish. My legs wobbled during the air squats it just sucked. By 36 minutes in, there was someone already finished. Amazing! After round two I had to break up the other half into 5 rounds or I was NOT going to make it. I was dizzy, I wanted to puke, I wanted to cry, I wanted to give up but I didn't. I was the LAST person to run, sucked to be last but it would have sucked more not to finish.

How funny that NO one else but Branden the one who finished first, Erin the one who did 100 pull ups without a band and me the one who finished last put our times on the board. Where are all the other times? Either way I finished and then I came home to see if I could find my time and lucky for me I was on Daily Mile all the way back then. In 2011 I finished in 60:53 seconds. Arg! One side of me says LAME! It's been a year. The other side says, this is the first time you have run 2 miles in 6 months, get over it, you've been hurt and you're on your way back, you finished! Murph would be proud. As Ken said, "Someone has to bring up the rear!" Until next year Murph.

Crossfit-Daze-Making The Time

Today was "square dance day" at school. My little guy started first thing in the morning and then we had a 3 hour break before our eldest son was suppose to have his turn. Lucky for me our box has a huge number of classes and I was able to make it for a work out during my break! I cut it really close but I made it.

This is my trainer Shaun lifting my one rep max dead lift with one hand. Seriously? Yes. Last year around September I hit my one rep max with 195 lbs. but today I'm only at 125 lbs. These things happen when you have to build yourself back up after injury. It's not like you should just STOP you have to keep showing up.

 And yes we do roll out! We roll out before a work out and we roll out after work outs. I'm really surprised when people are shocked by the fact that we warm up before a work out. Seems strange not too. As much as we ask our bodies to do it only makes sense.

 This was our WOD today but I went really light today because I know I'm still on my way back. My weight was 15 pounds in each hand. with dumb bells and the slam ball. Could I lift more? It's possible but one wrong move and I could be back to square one and that is not a risk I'm willing to take after 6 months of rehab. I have to smart, play it safe and try like heck not to compare myself to anyone other than me. Even that can be hard. I know where I was last year compared to where I am now.

This is me after my work out. I call this my endorphin face! I'm really happy after a work out, even though it might be tough the work out always outweighs the stress. People will say to me, "oh the expense, oh it's a long drive." To me it's ALL worth it. I must make the time for myself. This is me making the time, fitting it in around a busy day.

Crossfit-Daze-Newbie Day

This is Geri and today was her very first day at our box. She's done it before but not with us. I know Geri from Adventure bootcamp and a running bootcamp and we have crossed paths in several races along the way. She always sees me talking about my work outs on Facebook so she came to join me today.

 @CrossfitUnity - #Crossfit SWOD - Front squats 5-3-1 (65, 85, 105) not bad, not great but it's progress. Wall Ball Burpees 10lb med ball - 3 reps increase by 1 rep per round for 12 minutes. I only made it to 10 reps and then I had to bear crawl the rest of the time. It was ugly! Must work on that core. But Geri - well she beat us ALL. She was the last one standing in the final round. Amazing job for her first day. I think she will back. :)

Crossfit-Daze-Party WOD

Today was the Crossfit Unity 2 year anniversary party. Nothing like a group shot after a 12 minute wod out in the parking lot in the middle of the afternoon in Texas. You might as well be barbequing us! It was a tough work out let me tell  you. We broke up in teams of three. Lucky for me I had a couple of super humans on my team. Whoo Hoo!

On this side of the parking lot we got to do overhead squats. Mmmmm fun. Did I mention how hot it was outside. This was caught near the end of the 12 minutes.

Meanwhile I'm waiting for a team member doing lunges to come and relieve me. We ended up with 151 reps. The idea is to count your reps until the person doing lunges gets to you and then they pick the next number.

My team member on the left is Tracie and she is a Crossfit BEAST! She is really awesome. She was doing dumb bell cleans on the other side of the parking lot. I think we ended up 342 reps.

It felt like forever but it was only 12 minutes and then it was time to clean up. Whoa! Now we feast on some burgers and yummy food that everyone brought to share.

Even a Crossfit party has cake! So when people worry about paying more for a Crossfit membership than a gym, belonging to a box is really like having an extended family. A friend was trying to figure out if she could justify the money for a membership. It's a lifestyle change. We make the adjustment when we want something bad enough. How is that for a party WOD? Until next year.

Crossfit-Daze-Coming Back

What you see is just a couple of hand fulls of stuff that floats around in my head on a daily basis. There could be more or less depending on the day. What I want to remember is that regardless of everything going on or what I need to do that I am a priority. The last few weeks of Crossfit I have ended up on this very floor after a work out. I don't want to stand or jump up and down because I finished. NO at this point I just want to keep from throwing up. It sucks! 

My body no longer wants to do what I tell it to without some sort of painful reaction in some area of my body. I know sore and I know pain. When you Crossfit you begin to know the difference very clearly. This situation is sort of annoying. People complain about the distance to drive to the gym. It's about 20-30 minute drive for me both ways. Could I find a closer gym? Probably. I'm a creature of habit. As long as my people are there at the gym then that is where I'm comfortable laying on the floor or puking in the bathroom. I'm among friends. lol - And I can hug my barbell at the end of a work out and reliably count on my trainer to take photos that reveal my agony.

It's hard. Trying to make it back to RX. I'm a beginner again. It's so hard and most of the time I have a really bad attitude. I'm not where I want to be and it's very difficult not to compare yourself by the people you are surrounded by during a WOD on any given day.

Today I was working out with three very fast guys. They were quick, lifting heavy and they didn't need no stinking band to do strict chin ups. I'm here thinking I'm nearly on year two and I'm back to square one. It's utter garb! I expect a lot from myself. I was riding the wave and what a long fall it has been. One that I will never forget that is for sure.

It doesn't matter! I just have to keep showing up. That's all I have to do. I have to fight it, every single step of the way. Just keep showing up....

12 Day of Christmas, #Crossfit Style

Tonight we will attend church services and we might open a present or two by the fire but this morning...oh this morning....

There were two classes this morning and my plan was to hit the 8am and go for a group run by 9am. HAH! - I didn't make it for the run. Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas Crossfit Style. I'm still in recovery so I will post what the work out was and how it was modified for me.

                                 WOD                                                       My WOD

                                  12 Air Squats                                          12 Air Squats

                                  11 Ab Mats                                             11 Leg Lifts

                                  10 Wall Balls                                           10 Floor Press (18lbs. 5 each arm)

                                    9 Med Ball Cleans                                  9 Goblet Squats (18lbs.)

                                    8 KB Swings (35lbs.)                             8 KB Cleans (18lbs. 4 each arm)

                                    7 Burpees                                               7 Push Ups (knees)
                                    6 Box Jumps                                           6 Step Ups
                                    5 Dead Lifts (65lbs.)                               5 Dead Lifts (65lbs.)
                                    4 Front Squats (65 lbs.)                          4 Leg Presses
                                    3 Racked Lunges (65 lbs.)                      3 Lunges
                                    2 Thrusters (65 lbs.)                               2 KB Thrusters (18lbs. each arm)
                                    1 Handstand Push Up                             1 Push Up (knees)

What you do is follow the order of the tree. You would do 12 air squats, then 12 air squats and 11 ab mats, then 12 air squats, 11 ab mats, 10 Wall Balls and so on and so on adding to each round. Sounds like pure torture doesn't it? You bet it was! Even the modified version gave me a run for my money. I did mostly ok. My squats were not great and the dead lifts were not a lot of fun but I finished. I'm on my way back. It was frustrating knowing that I was doing a modified version but that's just where I am right now. As for Crossfit, it feels like I'm starting all over. Nearly 4 weeks have past and I'm still nursing this injury. I'm in the gym and I'm making the effort, that should be enough. At least that's what I keep telling myself! Did you get your work out on this Christmas Eve?


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Mobility WOD Challenge Series - #1

Since my trainer and I have been working on putting me back together. That's the Operation: Humpty Dumpty series, I have been inspired to focus on my range of motion. People seem to think that I'm fit and because I do Crossfit it makes me some sort of super human. Honestly, every time I go in the gym I find more things to work on. My range of motion is just one of the many on my list. My plan is to follow the San Fransico Crossfit mobility wod video series and share that with you here.


Assignment one: Hold a 10 minute squat.
Results Day 1: Held it for 3 minutes while holding the leg of my desk! lol - Yea, I'm not quite there yet. You give it a try. Let me know how it goes!

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Operation: Humpty Dumpty

What's next? What do you do after you complete 5,050 burpees? Do you go back down the ladder? Do you start again? These are just a few of the questions that I've been asked. Here are my answers! No one wants to go back down the ladder. After you complete that many burpees you recover. Now, my trainer and I work on putting me back together again through a long series of mobility wods. First, let me start out by saying that during the burpee challenge I continued Crossfit training, running 5Ks/10Ks and obstacle course runs and I would throw in some Taebo. I stayed tender during the entire process but never had any real dominating pain. My trainer did warn me about the high volume. I heard him but I had to finish. He was preparing me for what was to come and we agreed some where in the 80's that we would begin repairing my body.

If you followed by burpee challenge journal at all then you know on Day 99 before I did the burpees I pulled a muscle in the left side of my lower back. I was lifting very light weights. It's possible that it was just a matter of time before it all caught up with me. It did and I'm paying for it now. I have all sorts of issues.

I found this anatomy image on dreamartgallery.com. Then I decided to take a red brush and show you my issues. The challenged ended on the 8th and 5 days later after an adjustment, a stretch massage, many epsom salt baths, lots of foam rolling, pain relievers, biofreeze, 3 mobility wods and ice this is where the pain is located. On a scale of 1-10 , 10 being the worst pain I would say that right now I'm about an 8. It's time to recover. Now you will find me in the gym on the verge of tears trying to grind out my muscle tissue. Here I'm going to journal my recovery and mobility wods so that it might help someone else.

11/9 - Day 1 recovery - 1st mobility wod. A series that my trainer walked me through from head to toe! There were lots of rotations for every part of my body. We did a stretching series from head to toe as well. I wish I could remember them all. Maybe I can come back and post some of them.
11/10 - Day 2 recovery - 2nd mobility wod. Another series of stretches and working with the La Cross balls. They are great for getting out those kinks! Especially for plantar fasciitis. There was a ton of foam rolling.
11/11 - Day 3 recovery - arm band stretches to help my posture, 100 reps. These are the ones that brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to punch someone. It hurt a lot. My shoulders have this crunchy sound when they rotate. Good times!
11/13 - Day 4 recovery - mobility wod ladder 8-1 spider man push ups - I got stuck on the 6th rep of the first set. The pain on left side is ugly. Torso rotations - I had a hard time keeping my shoulders on the floor. Windmills with a 10 pound kettle bell. Every time I rotated to my right foot my left side was in pain. There is a stretch that he has be do where I put my leg on a box at an angle and then I lean over to get a good stretch. When I try that on my left leg it doesn't lay flat. It's at a 45 degree angle off of the box! Ugh!

11/14 - 11/30 It's been a long road. I'm still not fully recovered but I'm so much better than before.

The hip flexor issues could be inflammed from that 10K I ran on Thanksgiving. I wish my body would heal faster. I have been back on my vitamins regularly now. I'm eating and sleeping better. Here are a few of the exercises that my trainer has been working with me on. I'll add more as I find them.





It's June 1st and after 6 months in rehab I'm finally able to work out again. I'm finally able to run again. So let's get back to training for life, shall we?


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What's Up Chuck? #Crossfit Gear

For the last 6 months or so I've held on to this $50 gift card to JCPenny. The plan was to save it and put it with my blow money and buy some new clothes or dresses for church. That was the plan.

Some of the moves I do in Crossfit cause the bottom of my feet to burn like crazy! Often I will kick off my shoes (running, basketball or cross trainers) so that I can continue my work out without the pain. My feet are flat which means I don't have an arch. My shoes have had inserts and specially made inserts. I wanted to try some flatter shoes. Today I decided it was time to make use of that gift card I had been hanging on to. My hope is that this will solve my problem.

 

Look! Squeals of joy over here. I'm nearly 40 and it's taken me this long to buy my very first pair of Converse. Seems a little silly to be so giggy over a pair of these shoes. It's not like they make me look super hot or anything. They do make me feel good though. I really hope this plan works! My daughter thinks they're cool. I might just have to buy her a matching pair! :)  

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Before You Drink the #Crossfit Kool-Aid...

There is an article in Men's Health titled "Inside The Cult of Crossfit." I tracked it down from an odd tweet that I read. It said something about this guy quitting Crossfit because he couldn't beat the 11 women he was working out with and this guy was shaking his head. Of course that sparked my interest and I had to hunt it down and read it. It's an interesting read that's for sure and if you do read it please do so with a grain of salt. Everyone has their own unique experience.

Recently I've had a few people tell me that I have inspired them to begin Crossfit. They see tons of photos posted by my trainer Shaun McCrary on the CrossfitUnity.net facebook page. My facebook friends have lots of comments to make about these photos but let me give you the real inside scoop.

1.) Not all Crossfit boxes are the same. They may have the same equipment but they are run by different people and each area of town has it's own crowd. If you are new, check out a couple of gyms before you make your decision. My "box" is air conditioned and CLEAN. In that article the author specifically talks about filth and staff infection. Yuk!

2.) I work out with a trainer. He has a long list of credentials. He and I have a long history of working out. I followed him over from a boot camp class that he taught at a YMCA. There is a trust factor there. I don't worry about getting hurt because I'm working with a professional. He is constantly learning and keeping up with the fitness industry. This is a good thing! If you are new you will also want to work with someone who knows how to push you, call you out when you are not doing your best, but also knows when to back off because you're having an off day. Make sure you find out about the person who is teaching you so that you can make an educated decision whether or not you want to train with this person.

You are NOT going to look like this after a few Crossfit work outs. To look anything like this would mean you would have to be consistent with your work outs. You would have to show up and be ready to do anything. You might also have to go strictly Paleo to look like this but I don't know. I don't look like that. You will find girls that look like this all over the web who are doing Crossfit.

Can you benefit from doing Crossfit? Of course you can. You will become faster, stronger and more confident with each work out. Are you going to be sore? Yes! But there is a difference between soreness and actual pain. You will come to know the difference.

Some days you will work so hard at trying to do your work out that you are exhausted at the end. You might just want to hang out and catch your breath. It's not glamorous but that's the life of a beginner. You have to start some where no matter what your work out.

Other days you are going to have a hard time and you might need to scale down. Box jumps are my nemesis! Some times the jumps get in my head and I over think it and I just can't seem to do it. I'm not a fan of those days but those are obviously the things that I need to work on the most. The box on the right is what I can do but the box on the left is what I had to do on this day. It happens.

Then there are those days when you reach a personal record. This was a 195 pound dead lift. You can't help but smile when you reach a new level. That is part of the fun of Crossfit. You can measure your progress with every work out. Someone tweeted me today and asked me if I "Love Crossfit?" Some days I love it (when I do well) and some days I hate it (when I have to scale down). I love our community! I really enjoy seeing all the photos on facebook of our members. It's great to be able to cheer them on in that way.

The big question I have been asking myself, especially after reading that article is if Shaun were to leave the gym would I stay? Would I stay on to do Crossfit? After all I have a Crossfit gym right around the corner from my house. I know the owner, why not go there? It would save me time, gas and it's supporting my local community.

Here is what I do know, Crossfit can be very difficult. The Olympic lifting is no joke. It's really hard for me and it takes a lot of demonstration and a lot of practice. Some days I will forget as soon as he demonstrates a lift. I'm not sure if I just get nervous or what??? It happens. I would have never crossed over into Crossfit without the encouragement of my boot camp friends and knowing the trainer running the gym. So my advice to a new Crossfitter? Be comfortable with the gym you are in and be sure to ask as many questions as it takes until you are comfortable with what you are doing. If you work well on your own then a trainer may not mean that much to you. If you need a trainer then find a gym that has one so your comfortable that you will stay free from injury due to lifting. Good luck on your journey!

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#Crossfit WOD - My Hands Still Work

My hands hurt today but they still work. The black is from the tape on the bar. We did some knees to elbows. I think mine look more like knees to belly button! See that spot on my right hand I squished that part in between the bar and the crook of the stand when I was racking my bar. If that makes any sense at all. It hurts a little.

Finally, one my buddies came in for her first Crossfit work out. She might be in love. We'll see after the pain sets in. It's kind of hard to explain to people what a work out is like. She asked me if it was more cardio?, "No not really!" Then she asked me is it more weight lifting?, "No not really!" It's more like an ALL over work out, short but high intensity. I think she knows what I mean now.

Congrats to her for trying something new. There is nothing like challenging yourself. Break out of the norm, think outside the box, dream a little dream if you dare. :)



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