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Holy intervention, Batman!

I've been emailing Brian over the past few days about tweaks to my diet. Upon looking at my food log, he immediately diagnosed me as seriously carb sensitive. So I'm subbing carb blocks for fat blocks a la Robb Wolf.

My new prescription is 11P/7C/23F. My first thought was to just scrap the day and head to Chik-Fil-A: I LOVE their sandwiches. But with a few tweaks, I can start today.

Already ate:

Meal 1 - Cottage cheese, applesauce, mandarins, almonds - (2P, 2C, 2F)
Meal 2 - Salad with chicken and ranch dressing - (3P, 2C, 3F)

Will eat:

Meal 3 - Chili, cheese, with 6 almonds - (3P, 3C, 6F)

Meal 4 - Roasted chicken and 36 almonds - (3P, 0C, 12F)

Let's see how it goes!

This is my 3rd day in a row of working out. I may not get the 2nd workout in today, but I'm glad to have worked out at least once on Sunday-Tuesday. Tomorrow is a rest day. Next week, I'll work on adding the 2nd workouts.

WOD

Warmup: jumping jacks, dynamic pushups, side jumps, front jumps
WOD:
4 rounds:
400m run
10 35# thrusters5
HSPU (20# box)
13:29

The run was tough. I tried to push it to a sprint but, well, it was really cold. The thrusters were good and it was my first time doing the HSPU progression. After class, Jen helped me with a handstand against the wall. It was like gym class, but better!

Food Log
My gastrointestinal issues are still here :-( This morning I stopped by Shoppers to pick up a few things including Zone bars. My favorites, the caramel cluster ones, are on recall due to the Salmonella scare. Could I have salmonella poisoning? I've been eating them on and off over the past week.

Guilty pleasure: McDonald's medium coffee with 4 Splendas - it's free in February
Meal 1 (9 am): Cottage cheese, applesauce, mandarin oranges, almonds - 2 blocks
Meal 2 (11:30 am): Salad with roasted chicken, almonds - 2 blocks C
Meal 3 (1pm): Chili - 3 blocks
Meal 4 (?): Lentils with roasted chicken, almonds - 3 blocks

Off to research salmonella. . .

WOD
AM: Today started out really well. I met up with K and M for a morning run. K&M are 2nd year triathletes who maintain a regular schedule - Running on Monday and Wednesday, swimming on Tuesday and Thursday, long run on Saturday and ride on Sunday. I was jumping into their 30-45 minute Monday run. They said it would be at 10-10:30 pace so I figured I'd be able to hang on. The run went well. My legs felt great and the pace was fine, considering that I've not run longer than 10 minutes since November. Yay Crossfit! This one is on the books as a tempo run.

PM: If I can swing it, I'll do the PCF park WOD from Saturday. 4 rounds of 400m/50 squats.

Update: It's cold. No PM workout today.

Food Log
Having cooked yesterday, it was a joy to pack my lunch. I ate the first meal at home after the run and packed the rest.

Meal 1 (8am): Cottage cheese, mandarin oranges, almonds - 3 blocks
Meal 2 (10:30am): Chili and almonds - 3 blocks
Meal 3 (6p): Sukamawiki, roasted chicken, almonds - 3 blocks
Snacks: cheese sticks and fruit - 2 blocks

Right now, it's just before noon and I ate my lunch 1.5 hours ago. I could eat again right now and am brewing a vague headache. Hmmmm. I'm sipping water while I determine if this is true hunger or "I feel like eating."

Update: I snacked on almonds during the afternoon (~4 blocks F) and then had a cheese stick and 2 fruit flaps from Trader Joes (1P/2F/2C). At 3:30, I had half a banana. I ate Meal 3 at 6pm and then had a snack pack of smart food popcorn (2F/1C). So not great today. I need to figure out why I got so hungry. Maybe I should have eaten before the run. . .

Today was a great day all around.

WODs
Today was the first Sunday in months that I've managed to do CF and tri specific training. It wasn't the bike shop ride as planned, but you've gotta start somewhere.

AM: This morning I did the Tabata workout on the bike trainer. 10 seconds on/20 seconds off for 16 rounds with all-out effort. It's only 8 minutes, right? By the 12th round, my quads were toast. But it was a strong effort!

PM: I hit the box for the evening workout. The WOD was "Sharon" in honor of the firebreather of the same name who is leaving tomorrow for 5 months in Africa.

We did as many repetitions as possible in 3 minutes per station of:
Wall Ball, 20/12 lbs
Slam Ball, 20/15 lbs
Push Ups
Sit Ups
240 total reps

I did the Rx weights for women (12/15), but probably should have gone heavier on the wall ball. The effort was legit though. Going into the WOD, my goal was to break 200 since only a few women in the 5pm class did. I did slamballs first (my strength) and cranked out 80-something of them in 3 minutes. Then, I had situps. By the time I hit the wall ball station, I was at 170 total reps. Managed 45 wall balls (hate 'em) and was at 215 going into the pushups. At this point, it was all I could do to get 5 pushups at a time since my arms were fried. Overall, I was proud of the effort. My goal as of late has been to really push it in the WODS and not "pace" and play it safe. It's a hard habit to break, but I'm getting there.

Food Log
My eating was good today! The only thing that was less than stellar was the can of soup, but I hadn't finished cooking and needed something. I had to supplement for fat and protein, but it worked out okay.

Meal 1 (9:30am) - cottage cheese, apple sauce, apple, nuts: 4 blocks
Snack (1 pm) - 1/2 Zone bar: 1 block
Meal 2 (3:30pm) - 1 can progresso soup, cheese stick, almonds: 3 blocks
Meal 3 (7:30pm) - chili and almonds: 3 blocks

Rest

WOD
I rest each Saturday. No WOD today.

Food Log
On the food side, my goal was to eat only low glycemic carbs since I wouldn't be working out. Yesterday, I realized that I've been shortchanging some of my carb blocks since the low GI ones are really bulky. For example, an entire 16oz bag of broccoli only has 20g of carbs. That's a little over 2 blocks.

Meal 1 (11am): Cottage cheese, apple, peas and carrots, cashews - 4 blocks
Meal 2 (3:30pm): Peas and carrots with a turkey burger and 1tsp olive oil - 3 blocks
Snack (5pm): 1/2 of Zone Perfect bar - 1 block
Meal 3 (7:30pm): Broccoli, turkey burger and 1tsp olive oil - 3 blocks

The first meal hit the spot and held me very well for a few hours. The volume of vegetables really filled me up. I didn't feel sluggish today and only felt hungry in the hour leading up to the 3:30 meal.

Friday, 090220

I'm so glad to be wrapping up this week. It was a busy one and my stomach felt bad for most of it. Today, upon eating again (I had some miso soup late last night to tide me over), I thought that the stomach gremlin was back. However, it righted itself after an hour and the rest of the day was good.

Food Log
Complete adherence to the Zone and I felt good. Never hungry all day and not tired.
Meal 1 (1oam): Turkey burger with peas and carrots - 3 blocks
Snack (2:30pm): Apple and 2 cheese sticks - 2 blocks
Meal 2 (4:30pm): Lentil stew, tuna, peas and carrots- 4 blocks
Meal 3 (7:30 pm): Cottage cheese, applesauce, cashews - 2 blocks

I may have missed a bit of fat in Meal 2 b/c I subbed out the turkey burger. I was trying to figure out if the TBs were causing my gastrointestinal distress.

WOD
Today, I dragged myself to the pool. I was short on time so I did a CFE-style interval workout. After warming up, 5 x 50yd all-out with 25yd back balance rest interval. I definitely need more time in the water, but the Crossfit has increased my suffering threshold. My goal is 2 swimming days per week through May.

Weight
The weight seems to have stabilized. I can't really explain the yo-yo effect. Bad food choices? Monthly water weight? Yesterday's fast? As of this morning, I was back down to 134.4lb. Having gone through the GID, I'm even more committed to doing the Zone as prescribed until I get down to my ideal leanness.

Thursday, 090219

WOD
Today, I hit the box at lunchtime. The workout was weighted pullups (7x) and a 1000m row. The pullups have been challenging for me at the box b/c I have a hard time gripping the bar. Its diameter is bigger than the bar that I have at home. And I'm working on getting a kipping pullup. But today's effort was decent. I did 2 bodyweight pullups and then 2 reps at 5 lbs, a 10lb, 15lb and then a bodyweight. At times I used a reverse grip with one forward and one back, but Curtis just cared that I got my chin over the bar.

The row was decent - 4:22. I kept a pretty steady pace and then dropped the hammer for the last 100m. Sharon and Lauren H. were doing it at the same time. Working out with a firebreather like Sharon is motivating. She's a total beast.

Food
Well, my tummy was still feeling funny today so I've been fasting. Nothing but water (or Nuun). I've been feeling good and actually very energetic. Right now, I'm starting to feel a little tired and am getting a little headache. But I think I'll soldier on and wait until tomorrow morning to eat.

Monday starts today!

In the past, when I'd start a new eating or workout regimen, I would start on Monday. If the resolve to get going came on Thursday, then Friday, Saturday and Sunday would be spent eating all of the things that I wouldn't be eating starting on Monday. In one memorable Sunday outing before starting BodyRx the next day, my sister and I drove from Potomac Mills Mall to Friendly's near Arundel Mills Mall at 10pm to to have grilled cheese sandwiches and sundaes. For anyone that knows the DC area, that's like 50 miles and 1 hour each way. Ridiculous!

As Aaron wrote in his blog around New Years, "it takes some effort not to freak out when you have a couple of bad workout." (or eating days or whatever. . .) So, after a crazy few days, I woke up this morning and hit the WOD at PCF. I weighed in as well - 137.0 lbs. Yep, that's right, I managed to completely erase 2 weeks worth of work. But, I'm not going to freak out about it. I'm going to toughen up and get the work done. Like Aaron says, "if you start today, it will be much more legit. . ."

Workout of the Day

"Elizabeth"
21-15-9
Squat cleans

Ring dips

13:13

I did 65# cleans. I'd started out at 85# (prescribed for women is 95#) but my form was horrible. So I dropped the weight down to 65. For dips, I used the parallettes.

Food Log

Meal 1 (noon): Lentil stew with turkey burger - 3blocks

Snack 1 (1pm): Cheese Stick and 1/2 apple - 1 block

Snack 2 (4pm): Cheese Stick and 1/2 apple - 1 block

Meal 2: Ma Po Tofu with steamed vegetables - 3blocks

Meal 3: Zone Perfect bar - 3 blocks

My stomach feels crazy and I really don't feel like eating. I think I've been fighting a stomach bug since Sunday. If I still feel crappy tomorrow, I'm gonna fast.

Back in the saddle

I've missed a few workouts and my eating was a mixed bag over the weekend. Not horrible, but I was at my cousin's house. She's got kids and lots of tempting snacky things to eat. On Sunday, I cooked though - Ma Po Tofu with jasmine rice and asian vegetables; lentils and turkey burgers; miso soup. Yesterday's eating was decent all day (I brought my food to work) until I got back to her house - hot chocolate and a piece of cake. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I baked a 1-2-3-4 cake on Friday. Sooooo, I was a fool for stepping on the scale today. It fooled me back.

Today's WOD was just what I needed to get back in the saddle.
3 Rounds for time:
1 minute Ball Slams, 20/15 lbs
1 minute Sit Ups
1 minute Medicine Ball Cleans, 20/16 lbs
1 minute Double Unders

I got 253 reps. Once I get my double unders down, I'll be able to smoke it. The slam balls are my favorite. They are one exercise that makes my (lack of) height an advantage.

Friday the 13th Update

Food
Yesterday, I finished my 2nd week on the Zone. It was a mixed bag. Towards the beginning of the week, my weight dropped steadily from 135 on Thursday to 132.4 on Monday. I was pumped! Sadly, I added 0.4 lbs just about each day after that. This morning, I weighed in at 134.4 - so a loss of 0.6lbs for the week.

In retrospect, I had a few days (Tuesday/Wednesday) where my eating was not perfect. Not terrible, just not perfect. I ran out of food and that is never good. While I didn't binge, I probably ended up adding 1-2 blocks of food on those days. And I skipped my Thursday WOD.

I've replenished my food stores and will be cooking today so I can have cooked food for the next few days. And though I don't have any crazy cravings, I may schedule a cheat food some day soon.

Training
I've decided to postpone hardcore tri training until May. With school, work and family, I just don't have time to get the 2-a-days in like I need. Making this decision has taken a lot of the (self-imposed) pressure off.

Today, I did the deadlift workout at the box: 6-4-3-1-1-1. I really prefer the 5 x 1RM, but the point of Crossfit is varied training. I pulled 175-185-185-195-205-215. My PR is 235lbs. It would have been nice to beat that today, but with the higher reps in the beginning, I just didn't have it in me. Surprisingly, my hands tore on the 215s. I got the weight off the ground and to my knees twice but ended up putting it down early b/c of the grip - argh! But I really wanted to get the rep since I knew I could lift it, but my hands paid the price. A pair of gloves may be in my future.

Tomorrow is a rest day! The plan is to hit the group ride on Sunday morning and then Crossfit in the afternoon.

Goals for this week:
1. Stay consistent on the Zone
2. Increase the number of workouts - get in a swim and bike
3. Get at least one workout on scheduled days

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

This Sunday, I headed out to the bike shop for the weekly ride. With a forecasted temperature of 54 degrees and sunny skies, it was a great day to ride. Since I'd missed the ride last week, I was excited to get going.

Back in October/November, I rode a few times with this crew. The group mostly consists of roadies from Route 1 Velo. They are a great bunch of folks - really nice and it's a no-drop ride. I always feel bad for being at the back of the pack, but you've gotta start somewhere. In the fall, I went on the rides around the time that I was finishing up Foundations at CF. I'd ride on Sunday, do CF during the week and then ride again the next Sunday. On weeks where there was a lot of heavy listing I actually improved a bit from week-to-week: Deadlifts work!

THE GOOD

The ride has a few hills and some rollers and covers about 30 miles. Typically, I get dropped going up the first big hill. Chris, one of the shop owners, is usually the guy who hangs back with me and lets me draft to recover. In rides past, we've been too far back and I've been too slow to bridge to the group so we end up losing them fairly early on. However, this week we were only 30m or so back at the top of the hill. I was huffing pretty badly, but was able to turn the wheels enough to stay on Chris' wheel and get pulled back to the group. This was a first! A little later I fell off the pace again, but we managed to bridge again. All in all, we managed to stay with the group until the turn at 197 - 14 miles. This was HUGE! I was very psyched to have stayed with them that long. Especially at 19+ mph in places.

THE BAD

After 197, I started to fade. Suddenly, I couldn't seem to even maintain 12mph. I mean I'm slow but I'm not usually that slow. Then it dawned on me - in my haste to get out the door and because I'm running low on groceries, I didn't eat as much as I normally do. I'd planned to eat a Zone Perfect bar, but couldn't find one. So I had a small piece of sweet potato before heading out. Stupid, I know. So I was pedalling with little gas in the tank.

THE UGLY

Little gas turned into fumes. Next thing I know, it happened. Yep, a full on BONK! I have never, ever felt so bad on a bike. Like seriously! My legs didn't feel tired, but they just couldn't turn any faster. I apologized to Chris about 100x and then when he pawned me off on Ed I apologized some more. At times, I couldn't pedal over 6mph on the flats. My only goal was to get back to the shop and my car where I'd brought my lunch. We made our way through the USDA reserve in Beltsville and up ahead the rest of the group was waiting. I felt horrible for having made all of them wait for me. We crossed 193 and snaked our way through the neighborhoods to get to the shop. The neighborhood hills were the nail in the coffin. At one point, I was going so slow up one of them that I got of the bike and walked it up. walk of shame When we got back to the shop, I went directly to my car and ate. I literally could feel the nutrients coursing through my veins.

Lessons Learned

1. Always, always take nutrition on a ride even if you don't normally eat it

2. I need to fuel up properly before long, endurance events and workouts. Failing to eat properly is just stupid.

I'm glad that the ride was good in the beginning - I've improved via CF. Next week, I'll eat more and see how the back half of the ride goes.

Potpourri for $200, Alex

So I've meant to post several times in the last few days, but am finally settling down to actually check in. What would have been a few posts is now going to be one, all-over-the-map catch-all. That means bullets!

• Zone - The diet has been going well. I'm really settling in and am finding that planning out my food and taking it with me is making life soooo much easier. On my busiest days, I workout, go to work and then go to class within a 6am-9pm timespan. Not having to worry about food is making me more productive and happier. I've only had a few instances of feeling cranky about the (lack of) food. They are fleeting moment, thankfully!
• Weight - In my first week on the zone, I lost 2.2 lbs, going from 137.2 to 135lbs. Considering that I didn't exercise for 3-4 of those days, I'm psyched! That's a 5 pound loss from January 24. Prior to adjusting the diet, my weight was steady at 140-141 for months.
• Training - On Thursday, I got in a track workout (intervals) and then went to Crossfit a few hours later. Through it all, I felt great and my workouts were right on target. On Friday, I went snowboarding at Liberty. Despite not having been on a snowboard in about 3 years, I was able to pickup where I left off. The months of Crossfit must be working b/c I wasn't sore at all and had no trouble riding all day. The next day, I felt great.

So all in all, things are going well. I just came back from the bike shop ride, but it deserves its own post. Coming soon. . .

The early bird catches a deadlift

Coming into today, I'd gone 4 days without working out despite the best of intentions. Soooo, the stakes were high this morning. I hit snooze to the 4:30am alarm which would have gotten me to Masters on time and reset it for 5:45 - enough time to get to the 6:30am WOD at PCF. When 5:45 rolled around, I snoozed-snoozed-snoozed until 6am. My lazy angel was fighting the motivated angel. Luckily, motivated angel won and I dragged myself to the gym.

Today's WOD was "Eliziane" - a combo of Elizabeth and Diane.

21-15-9

Deadlift (235/155)

Ring dips

I used 155# on the deadlifts and the blue band for assisted ring dips, finishing in 9:24. I probably could have gone a little faster, but I'd hit the WOD without warming up (The late wakeup meant getting to the gym late). I was felt slooooooow but am glad that I went.

Today's eating is off to a good start. Ironically, I find it easier and have fewer cravings on the days when I work out.

The best laid plans

Well, I had a slight detour on today's fitness. My plan was to do a 35-mile ride with the bike shop in the morning and then hit the box at 2pm for an afternoon WOD. Life happened though, and I didn't make either. Bummer!

However, there were some highlights. Because I'd laid out my food yesterday, I was able to stay on the Zone without any issues through dinner. I'd planned to cook in the afternoon, but ended up stopping by Mo's when that didn't happen. After checking CFJ21 and measuring out Zone portions, I enjoyed a lovely dinner of hamburger and lentil/vegetable stew. It was delicious and allowed me to be social while staying on the wagon. So yay!

Tomorrow is a new day. I'm setting things up for a swim and crossfit. My goal is to ramp up the intensity and work really hard on Monday and Tuesday. Tomorrow is a new day.

The devil is in the details

Well, it's day 3 of the Zone. Yesterday, I felt a little cranky and vaguely hungry. This was surprising since I didn't work out at all - I guess, I just had all day to perseverate on the food that I was (not) eating. Being at my cousin's house didn't help either. . .she has 3 kids which means that there's always stuff to eat.

In the afternoon, I subscribed to the Crossfit Journal. I'd been meaning to do it for a while, but finally just did. One of the first articles that I read was "Getting off the Crack" by Nicole Carroll where she describes her introduction to the Zone. As I read through her account of the first few days, it sounded just like the dialogue that I was having in my head.

"What kept me going through the first brutal weeks? Most likely it was a combination of stubbornness, anger and curiosity. I was pissed that this moderate way of eating was kicking my butt. I thought it should not be this hard and that I should not give into my own weak will. . ."

Ouch. My own weak will. I have gotten on the nutrition and workout wagon many times. Yet at some point, usually telling myself that it's no big deal, I find a reason to quit. Not this time. I am going to push on and reap the rewards.

Reading the article helped me get through yesterday and, I'm happy to report, today has been much better. Saturday is my normal rest day so I've had 2 days off from training. Tomorrow, I'll hit it again with a morning bike ride and Crossfit in the afternoon.

You've gotta eat. . .

A big goal for this season is to dial in my nutrition to maximize performance. Over the past 5 months or so, I've dabbled in Paleo eating and IF. And I like both of them. So I've been looking for a way to put it all together.

My ideals for nutrition are most accurately listed below (shamelessly borrowed from Spartan Fitness Body).

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS JUNK FOOD -
"There’s food and there’s junk.
Eat food not junk. Food is what is found naturally in nature. If it wasn’t killed or picked off a tree recently don’t eat it. That’s the ideal to shoot for. This eliminates stuff like sugar, bread, pasta, donuts, flour.
Extra credit if you eliminate grain, beans, and pasteurized dairy.
Do this alone and you will see BIG changes guaranteed.
One more thing. Stop drinking junk too, water’s all you need."

Though I love donuts and cake, I'm willing to sacrifice them for better performance.

Today, I started the Zone-Paleo. Basically, I'll be eating Paleo foods in Zone proportions - 11 blocks a day. Practically, it is already making my life easier because with my crazy schedule I NEED to have prepared food with me. My plan is to commit to 2 weeks of strict weighing and measuring and then reassess. And since I've been loosely following a daily 14-hour fast for the past 3 months, my eating will likely fall within my "eating hours."

This morning, I weighed in at 137.2 pounds with a bodyfat of 27.7% (based on the Tanita scale). The bodyfat number was surprisingly high for me - I thought it would be closer to the 24% that it was back in September since I feel leaner now than I was then. But it's a line in the sand. My goal is to drop 10 pounds of bodyfat and improve my performance in Crossfit and triathlon.

I made Char Shiu chicken last night so I've got plenty of protein to build meals with. I'll probably cook again on Friday or Sunday. Today, I've had two-3block meals and one-1block snack. I'm about to have my last meal shortly and then the snack in a few hours. I was worried that the calorie intake would be too low but soo far, so good - I felt good during my workout and haven't been hungry.

3-2-1-Go!

Adding Crossfit to the mix

After completing my triathlon season in 2008, I was working to maintain my fitness with the usual Masters swimming with occasional running. I'd heard about Crossfit online somewhere and finally stopped by Potomac Crossfit for one of their free classes. I took 2 free classes and then signed up for Foundations in mid-October.

My Foundations trainer, Jen Conlin, really did a great job of introducing our class to the basic movements in Crossfit. I loved the intensity of the workouts and the way that they balanced strength and metabolic conditioning. When Foundations finished in mid-November, I re-upped with PCF and have been going ever since (minus some time taken off around the holidays).

With triathlon season approaching, I've decided to combine Crossfit with Crossfit Endurance-style training. Right now, the plan is to do 5 Crossfit workouts with 3-6 triathlon workouts each week. Coming off of the holiday break, I've been ramping the CF up and adding the multisport back in.

Here are some of my workouts for the past few weeks:

1/13: Deadlift 3-3-3 (165-295-205); Bench Press 5-5-5 (75-85-95)
1/14: "Quarter Gone Bad": Five rounds for reps of 55# thruster, weighted pullup, burpees - work 15 sec, rest 45 sec. 67 total reps
1/15: Snatch 6x1RM (35-45-65-75-75-75) and 1/2 cindy - 4 rounds plus 2 pullups*
1/27: CFE - Swim 20 minutes at 85%RPE, CF - For reps/cals: 5X (1 minute row, 1 minute 25# thruster, 3 min rest) - 142 reps
1/28: Deadlift 7x1RM (175-195-205-215-225-230-235)
Split Jerk 7x1RM (65-75-85-95-100-105-110)
1/29: Heavyish Fran: 65# thrusters and tan band- 11:17*

I have been working on my pullups. I started out with jumping pullups, but am trying to focus on deadhang pullups until I get the kip down. My reps and times are suffering, but I think it'll be worth the effort.

My schedule was off this week so I'll end up with 4 days of work before my rest on Saturday. I'm definitely feeling it.

Let's start at the very beginning!

Well, this is my first post. The purpose of this blog is to detail my training, triathlon season, and other fitness topics. This year, I've decided to train by adding Crossfit to the regular swim/bike/run. Let's see how it goes!