Half-marathon row anyone?

I did it. 

Before my surgery, I think sometime in June, I rowed a 10k and I remember I did not like it very much. It took me about 45minutes. The last record I have of a 5k for time is at 21:25 from January 2014. Obviously being pregnant and being 3 months post neck surgery I was not expecting to be anywhere close to that today.

Originally, I wanted to just row an hour, but I was over 10k after an hour and told myself to go to 15k and see. At 15k I felt like it was not worth stopping so I went all the way. 

I did not stop once: just did a few one-armed stroked to take sips of water or change songs on my phone. 

The next time I do this, I will need to have a playlist, that's for sure. 

The hardest were 6k-9k and then 18-21k everything else did not feel bad at all. Every now and ten people would come stop and chat, and that helped a bit.

I only went at like 80-90% and could carry out a conversation through the row. 

Bottom line, it was fun. Next time I hope to be doing it at 90-95% - obviously post baby but I learned that this was not awful at all and actually quite enjoyable. 

Here is my result: 

A split time of 2:11 was only happening in the beginning and the end. I stuck around 2:20 for most of it with the occasional 3:10 one-armed strokes :)

So, if you have nothing to do this weekend, go ahead and row! 

Intune: Mental and Physical Balance through CrossFit

I don't know why CrossFit has been so much more than just exercise for me. In my life, I have probably tried every sport on the planet, from swimming or running, over a common gym membership and aerobics classes, to lacrosse, soccer, and horseback riding. Yet, only CrossFit really helped me connect and consequently balance the physical with the mental. 

For example, when I used to run, I mainly did it to keep weight off or lose more. I don't think I ever really enjoyed running. Although, I kept telling myself that I did, and after the first couple of miles I didn't mind it and always felt good afterwards. Running was yet more a means to an end. 

Swimming, on the contrary, I really enjoyed, but I never really got as serious about it as that I would have given it more thought. Plus, I never really felt that comfortable in my bathing suit. A stupid struggle that developed out of the society-induced thinking that I needed to look a certain way. Nonetheless, I went regularly, and during the summer time, I would get a tan along with the swim. 

Horseback riding has always been therapeutic to me, but yet again, it's been more a sport for pure enjoyment. Plus, I never owned a horse and moved around quite a bit over the last 10 years so that I never established a connection with that one horse.

Going to the gym started to get boring but again I stuck with it again mainly to not gain weight and tone my muscles a bit. It was usually unstructured, or just the same routines, day in and day out - no pushing myself and pretty boring at times. Adding some of the classes was fun but I never really got into it. I guess, I'm not really a group sport or team sports person. At least in environments in which I felt like I didn't fit in. 

Those experiences boil down to having felt uncomfortable and not as fit as others, not as good as them. Maybe, I could have but I just never felt I would. And I constantly compared myself. 

When I started bikram yoga, I slowly began to realize that comparing is not helpful, but with all the mirrors in the room and all the positions that did not bring out the prettiest sides of me, it was hard for me to focus. I enjoyed it but again I mainly did it for the benefits it apparently provided. 

Why it was so different with CrossFit?! I have no clear explanation, but I know that even though I felt uncomfortable in the group settings at first, I started to see results quickly and was encouraged by the people around me. 

The community in CrossFit definitely plays a big role. Being supported by those around me and being a part of a community made a big difference. 

Fact is that I have never felt mentally and physically challenged the way I have with CrossFit, and it's a good challenge, one that makes me not only a fitter but also a better person. I learned to pay attention to the signals my body send. In the past, I ignored many of them. I thought nothing would ever happen to me and if I felt an ache I would take a pill and rest, but now it's different. 

I try to find causes so that I can prevent aches in the future. I eat healthy to allow my body to heal itself, and so that I do not need to rely on pills. I take care of myself and change things up, or rest, so that I don't cause more harm but allow myself to get better. 

In 10 days I will do a nutrition challenge that my gym organizes. I'm excited because we work in teams and besides getting in shape, we can win something. Incentives and accountability are in check, and it's going to be one of those community-driven things that I love about CrossFit! 

I am a happier and more balanced persons because of Crossfit. Even though I am currently not actively wodding in classes at MBS, I am still part of the community. And MBS has the best community :)

Mental and physical balance are rooted in a support system and I am happy I found mine in CrossFit, at MBS. 

Whiteboard obsessions

Ever been to a CrossFit gym? If so, you've probably seen a whiteboard with lots of names and numbers, and wondered "what the heck?!"

That was my first thought at least, whenever I began CrossFit. 

But, soon I found myself drawn to the board. I checked out other peeps' numbers and wondered if I would ever be able to get that Rx sign next to mine. I still don't have it on all WODs - especially not now that I can't do any upper body movements - but then, once I had it, I kept wondering if I can shave off seconds and minutes of my WODs - especially the benchmark WODs. I found myself liking the competition and I found myself liking getting  better at movements. 

I worked on getting double unders for probably 3 months after failing miserably on 13.3 and I still need to get more comfortable with them. Without the whiteboard I would not know this.  

The whiteboard constantly reveals to me what I need to work on. And of course, it makes you feel pretty good to see your name and number shows that you beat others'. Within a year I have improved tremendously not only on WODs but on lifts. I have kept pretty good track of my numbers since I started, and cannot complain that I was not getting stronger. 

Until now. Until my injury put my CrossFit life on hold. I should have taken that shoulder pain more seriously back in March. I should have rested and not competed at local competitions. But I did not imagine that it was that serious. So March through May I worked through the pain, even worked more on handstand walking and muscle ups. I wanted to keep my numbers up on the board.

I paid the price in June, when I realized that I needed to stop. Some days in May had already shown me that I needed to get this figured out. I started Physical Therapy, but whenever there was a WOD that would allow me to do well, I would do it. I hit lots of PRs April and May and strength-wise was probably right behind Andrea Ager at our gym. Deadlift 355#, Back squat 235#, Front squat  210#, Squat Clean 190#, clean and Jerk 180#, Jerk 185#, just snatch, press and bench were not improving. I hated the days at the gym on which the board would reveal my weaknesses, and I truly hated having to modify WODs. I was. terrified of losing upper body strength. However, cervical radiculopathy means weakness. So, I am in pain and I have lost strength. I can't do anything about it - not even work through the pain - the strength is simply gone in my left arm. 

Now, the whiteboard reminds me everyday that it's all relative. It's more important for me to get healthy. At the same time I need to make sure I do what I can until I am again able to do pullups, toe to bars, dips, swings, and all. I am scared that I will have to relearn what has been difficult for me already. But I am even more scared that I will not be able to bring myself back on the whiteboard at all. Not only because I am competitive and like to have good numbers on there, but also because only the whiteboard really shows me how I am doing comparatively to others and how I am improving. 

I have eight more months before the next Regionals and I really want to kick ass on the big whiteboard that is the leaderboard. Making it on a team for MBS would be awesome. Qualifying as an individual seems out of reach considering that I will have to relearn a lot of the basics in a short time frame. But I can work on making my legs even more valuable and appreciate them for what thy make me do. Core work and legwork will dominate for another 1-2 months. Then, I hope I will be able to climb back up on the board and prove to myself that I can do whatever I set my mind to. 

I'm thankful for the whiteboard because it is what helps me keep my eyes on my goals. Even though it is sometimes a painful reminder of how much mental and physical work I have ahead of me.