30 weeks pregnant, lifting and WODing

Working up to a 80% (190#) 3 rep Backsquat

I am now 30 weeks pregnant and I grow more impatient every single day.
Luckily, I feel a bit better but I am still slow and out of breath after 2 sets of stairs. However, I can still lift weights and the sun started showing her face again!

I worked up to a 80% 3rep Backsquat the other day (190#), as well as to a Deadlift by feel but stopped at 235#. Yesterday, I practiced  split jerks and got to a 3 rep at 135#. I felt fairly strong. Even the WOD afterwards felt pretty good (I got almost 8 rounds of 12' AMRAP  5 G2OH / 10 DL at 95# and 15 BJs [but I did step ups to be safe!]).

Bodyweight movements have become increasingly difficult and, while I can still string 3 kipping pullups together, T2B are down to singles. BUT, that's ok. I am working on a training plan to rebuild core strength after delivery. The idea is to make sure I regain a strong basis of ab and core muscles as well as stamina before even thinking about getting back to 100% working out again. I will run, swim, walk, do light weights and bodyweight exercises.

I might drop out of Crossfit for the month of June when the baby is just a newborn and see how I can manage at-home-exercise first. But until then, I will be hitting the gym at least 5 times a week if at all possible.  Even though I am super tired and usually not motivated to do anything really, it does help me feel good about myself and actually energizes me at least for a short while. This being said, today I won't have time to workout, but I will make sure to see what 15.3 is going to be. I had to mod 15.2, so I am hoping for movements I can do Rx.

15.1 at 28.5 weeks pregnant

I did the first 2015 Open WOD Rx'd. I am not going to submit my score. It was fun and frustrating at the same time. 

A year ago I was in pretty good shape: this year around I could have been in awesome shape and I guess given the circumstance - having had neck surgery barely 6 months ago and entering the 3rd trimester of pregnancy - I still am in good shape. 

I decided not to sign up for the open, however, to not get sucked in to comparing myself. Yet, my competitive mindset is upset about it. I am burning to compete again. Ugh.

So doing the first WOD of the open was quite interesting. My belly was in the way on T2B and I had been doing them on the rings recently. So, doing the WOD Rx'd basically meant being no-repped almost on every T2B. The deads and snatches at 75# were easy and quick. But I also only got through 3 rounds plus a couple of T2B. 

Yet, the clean and jerk was a fun event. I opened with 115, did one at 135, and 155. Not too bad. 

Obviously, I didn't push myself, and that's where the dilemma starts in my head: how could I have performed not being pregnant?! I will never know. Comparison is the thief of joy. I need to tell myself that.

In fact, at our gym the competiveness between some athletes is ridiculous! What happened to empowering one another? What happened to mutual support? Instead, they all try to our beat each other by doing the workout 2 or 3 times... I'd probably do it twice but

To beat my own score! Not somebody else's! I did not train the way they did, I did not prepare mentally or eat the way they did! How can I compare my physical state to theirs when t should be only about my own? Ugh. I hope when I do the open next year I will remind myself of this. 

This year, while it is frustrating not to go all out, I am observing the craziness of what is called the crossfit open!

CrossFit Total - 22 weeks pregnant

A little over one year ago when I moved to Colorado and started at MBS, I did the CFT with

Backsquat 205

Press 95

Dead 305

= 605

My pre surgery and pre pregnancy CFT which I did around May 2014 was 

Backsquat 240

Press 105

Dead 330

= 675

Now, 5 month post-op and 22 weeks pregnant I am at

Backsquat 220

Press 95

Dead 275

= 590

Only 15Ibs below where I was a year ago. I am amazed about what the human body is capable of. In fact, the backsquats felt easy today but I am not maxing out while pregnant. My mind won't let me. The dead wasn't pretty but didn't feel heavy. And the press?! Well, I am still gaining back the strength in my neck and shoulders, and I felt and feel the loss of muscle here or anything overhead the most. 

But I must say, I am glad to be back at the bar. The cardio makes me sick so I am not seeing improvement there but that is ok. 

A friend pointed me to the article Elisabeth Akinwale just posted about pregnancy and fitness. http://elisabethakinwale.com/

She puts it in perspective. 

Today, I was just very happy with my results and the way I felt and that is a good thing. 

13 weeks pregnant and PRing

Granted, I am not PRing to the degree of my pre-surgery state but yet, I am making progress and feel like calling post-op-PRs...

So, I improved my FGB score from 207 at 4 weeks post surgery to 318 at 12 week post-surgery. Both times I did not do Rx weights to have an actual baseline and comparison score. I used 35# on the bars and 6# on the WB. I am sure he next time I'll do it Rx again and who knows maybe then I'll even beat my previous Rx score. 

I have found any body weight and upperbody strength exercises very challenging. Not only have I lost stamina but also strength in all areas. Yet, my lifts since surgery have been steadily increased even though my pregnancy is progressing. 

A few 3 rep max lift PRS I achieved within the last 7 days:

Deadlift 3RM 107kg

Snatch balance 3RM 35kg

Jerk 3RM 55kg

Backsquat 3RM 84kg

Squat snatch from boxes 3RM 38kg

Squat Clean from boxes 3RM 55kg

It's been challenging to take back on intensity. But then I read this wonderful article 

http://www.birthfit.com/2014/11/12/prs-during-pregnancy/

The problem for many, pregnant or not, is that they don't know what it means or feel like to be listening to your body. 

It's something hat took me a while and sometimes I struggle with the idea of "am I listening to my body or am I being easy on myself today?!" I feel like it's part the process of learning what's body does, can do and will do under certain circumstances and with certain desicions I make. 

Being pregnant, however, does put me at a position of not only listening to my body for my own sake but for that little peach that is growing inside me. 

I have learned to take more frequent breaths but I also try to push myself to a point that makes me feel acomplished. 

I am hoping my second trimester will bring back some energy and who knows maybe some more post-op PRs!

Snatches, Cleans and Deads

Yesterday was rest day. I took the dogs for walks and did some mobility and PT exercises. Today, despite noontime exhaustion, I went to the gym and did e following:

Iron scap

Int/ext rotations

1k row in 4:26

Snatch work 

Power and squat up to 85# and felt good

Clean work

Squat clean to 120# and power to 125#

Deads

Deadlift 3RM to 190 and 1 RM to 230

Then mobi

20# kb lift ups and tgus

Strict banded pullups

Planks

Sunday, Sep 21 Workout

Starting to do post-op testing

As part of our 8 Week Team Challenge, I have to log my workouts every day for a week, to get  daily lifestyle points. I usually do so anyway, but will do it on here, to make sure.
So today for my workout I tested some maxes.

Mobi

Iron Scap Sequence

Push Jerk: worked up to 120# 1RM
Push Press: worked up to 95# 1RM
Press: worked up to 85# 1RM
Deadlift: worked up to 230 1RM

Mobi