i knew it!

I've been waiting for the day that Arnel Pineda would sing the Philippine National Anthem at a Pacquiao fight. It finally came true! (Yeah. It's late. I know.)

Warm-up
Prep for WOD

CrossFit One World WOD
Back Squat
5/5/5
67/85/105

3/3/6
115/130/145

Press
5/5/5
33/33/45

3/3/9 + 1
45/55/60

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Today was a rest day, so I decided to work on some lifting that I needed to make up. Yea. But like an idiot, I did the wrong rep scheme. Can you tell that I don't know what to do with this new programming?! Gah! I'll get it. I swear I'll get it.

water bottles

Big thanks to Chris S. for posting this. My favorite water bottles are by kleen kanteen. I like the variety of sizes, colors, and the wider mouth. It makes it easy to clean! Plus, you don't get that nasty taste. I have two of them, the 27 oz for my gym bag and the 12 oz for my purse. I used to be big on plastic water bottles, but when I visualized all the waste, I decided to go stainless steel. These days, I'll use one plastic bottle at best (in case of emergency). I'm sure the environment has been better because of it.

Articles of interest:
Eight Foods that Fight Stress
Beaming Obama Signs Historic $938 Billion Overhaul
The Final Health Care Vote and What it Really Means
Exercise Can Help Prevent Weight Gain, But It Won't Be Easy
It breaks my hear that now even babies can't be fat! Here's the article: That cute chubby baby? It might be a problem that he's fat

Here's some feel-good stuff:
101 small pleasures you can enjoy every day
5 habits of happy people even the biggest grump can borrow

This is just pure hi-larity!
10 THINGS THAT SHOULD WARRANT AN ASS KICKING

Today's Small Victories
1) I was 100% primal. Admittedly, when not in challenge mode, bad food manages to make its way into my system. But not today. Oh no. Not today.

Warm-up
40%/50%/60% of working one rep max for press (68#). To avoid confusion with bars and such, I did 33#/35#/43#

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength: Press

Set #1 is 3 reps @ 70% of your "working" one rep max. (48#)
Set #2 is 3 reps @ 80% (55#)
Set #3 is 3 reps (or more) @ 90% (63# x 5)

Conditioning:
After sufficient rest from the strength workout, complete each of the following tasks for time (in any order). Rest as needed between efforts

Run 400m for time.
100 dumbbell shoulder to overhead in any manner (W:15#) for time. Stopping for longer than 3 seconds or putting the dumbbells on the ground constitutes a 100m run penalty (1600m cap). Add all penalties up at end and run the accumulative distance at one time upon completion of training. (Around the block at One World is 1600m...more or less.)

Joanne's Final Time:
Run - 2:08
Dumbell portion - 4:00
WOD - 6:37

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I'm still adjusting to the strength portion. I hate working with dumbells. Bleh.

the people i've slept with

While away last week, I caught a screening of The People I've Slept With. It was entertaining. Hopefully, it gets good distribution and you all get to see it at your local theater.

Today's Small Victories
1) I'm back in challenge mode. I wasn't as successful as I would have liked, but I'm giving it that old college try!
2) When I got to the box, I was hit with this odd wave of depression. I just wanted to cry. I don't know why. But I got out of the car and just got dressed and headed to the floor.
3) I told myself I'd only do 50 burpees, but I did the whole hundred. Even through the power outage, I did it.

Warm-up
Five reps of the back squat at 65/86/105

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Set #1 is 3 reps @ 70% of your "working" one rep max. (120#)
Set #2 is 3 reps @ 80% (135#)
Set #3 is 3 reps (or more) @ 90% (155#)

Conditioning:
Complete 100 six count burpees for time.

Training Tips: Six count burpees mean each movement of the burpee is very deliberate:
Squat
Kick legs out so you are in the planked push-up position
Touch your chest to the ground
Push-up back to the planked position
Kick your legs back to a squat postion
Jump up 6" (touch a target suspended 6"higher than you highest reach)

Joanne's Final Time - N/A

Notes (to myself) about this workout: This was the last time I did 100 burpees for time. I can't remember what my time was. Tonight I may have taken longer, but I did do a more definite burpee as opposed to a floppie. I also tried to hit my 6" mark. The yoga and strength training are definitely kicking in because my push-ups were better. It should be noted that I did the push-ups on my knees.

For the strength part, I only did three reps for the last set. I didn't know that we could do more. I missed all of last week, so I'm still adjusting.

get your bra on!

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that I'm a HUGE proponent of getting a proper bra fitting and wearing appropriate support gear. You just need to. In fact, when people sign up for gym memberships (yes, CrossFit included), I strongly believe that there should be a conversation about gear - especially about sports bras. Granted, I'm sure the guys LOVE watching the ladies bounce around in all sorts of ways. However, I'm talking about sports bras as a health issue. Proper support is important. I urge ALL WOMEN to get a bra fitting and find out what bras are best for you and your workouts.

With that, I wanted to let you know that Nordstrom in Valley Fair is hosting a Komen event this Friday and Saturday. All you have to do is come in and get a professional bra fitting. I swear by the Nordstrom specialists! When you decide to buy a bra from a participating brand, Nordstrom will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for every bra you buy! Some of the brands include: Calvin Klein, Chantelle, DKNY, Wacoal, and a slew of others! For more information, call the lingerie department at Nordstrom Valley fair at (408) 248-2180 ext 1240. Please note that different stores have different dates for this event. If you can't make it to Valley Fair, I suggest calling your local Nordstrom to find out when their Komen event is.

Here is what's going on in some fashion news... as always, the fat vs. thin debate is always heating up - especially with Fashion Week around. It looks like Paris has done some interesting things in trying to diversify. I have lots to say, but I'll keep this rant short and sweet. Unless I see women of different sizes (and I'm talking in the double digits, like size 10 and up) and racial and ethnic backgrounds, please don't bother talking about embracing diversity. Thin is not the new thin, folks! And here is another reason why I hate the fashion world. Oh Mr. Lagerfeld, it's not that no one wants to see round women, it's that ignorant people like have no idea what women actually look like.

Today's Workout
Run/walk 5k

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I've been out of commission because I've been nursing some major congestion and trying to catch up on some work. My last workout was last week Friday when I did an hour of yoga. Today was my first day back. The run was difficult, but we started off at a faster pace than normal, which felt good. However, by the time we reached our half way mark, it just felt better to walk it. I'm totally looking forward to training this week!

enough said.

Happy Birthday to the twins. 4-6 is fabulous! xoxo

Today's Small Victories
No victories today. It was tough.

Warm-up
Row 500 meters

CrossFit One World WOD
Front squat 3/3/3
75/85/95

Bench press 5x5 @ 68% of 1 rep max (65#)

Conditioning:
"Fran" Complete 21/15/9 reps for time of thrusters (65#)/ jumping pull-ups

Joanne's Final Time - 8:53

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Fran is a bitch. I hate her! But I rx'd the weight today. Woot!

gabourey vs. howard

The Huffington Post just posted this story about Howard Stern and his feelings about Gabourey Sidibe, star of Precious. Below is the radio excerpt.



Luckily, the Huffington Post does have a voice of reason. And here she is. I was prepared to go off on this issue. But I'm tired. And Howard Stern's stupidity isn't worth my time.

boot camp!

One World recently launched Boot Camp (powered by CrossFit One World), a fitness program headed by Chris Stroud (pictured). Here's a little about Boot Camp:

Boot camp is a Strength and Conditioning program based upon the CrossFit methods. During Boot Camp we will focus on total body conditioning, core strength, and lowering body fat. We provide the facility, coaching, and nutrition guidance to help you get to your desired body type.

Though based on CrossFit, Boot Camp is great for those of you who want to get fit, but find CrossFit a little too intimidating. Chris designed a great program that focuses on total health and nutrition. Therefore, you're not just getting a workout (that includes a warm-up, core strengthening, stretching, etc.), you're getting sound advice about developing a healthy lifestyle from someone who knows what he's talking about. Also, Chris is a great coach who can work with you regardless of what your fitness level is. Another great thing about Boot Camp is that you don't have to be a One World member to do it. It's open to anybody and is available at a very reasonable price! Finally, Chris isn't a drill instructor and to my knowledge, isn't military affiliated in any way. Therefore, you don't have to worry about being yelled at by some a-hole in faux fatigues. And if none of that convinces you, visit the site to get more information. fathlete confession: Rumor has it that you may be able to check out a class for FREE. I say do it ASAP because I'm not sure how long this offer will last!

Today's Workout
One hour of yoga today.

Notes (to myself) about this workout: For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could hang in the class. Ah!

skinny fat

OMG. It does exist. SKINNY FAT! Yeah. That's right. The Today Show just did a segment called Skinny Fat, where their health expert explains that even though one has a "normal" BMI and looks skinny, you could still have a high body fat percentage and be susceptible to the same health conditions as clinically obese people. That's right. Skinny does not equal healthy!

Not that this is new to me. But that someone actually named the condition skinny fat is fascinating. After some searching, I found this piece on MDA regarding the subject. Here's another article from truestar health. Finally, here is what Newsweek had to say about the matter.

fathlete confession: Knowing that there are skinny fat people warms my heart. That such people will NEVER experience the ridicule and harsh judgement I do because my fat is public and noticeable makes me want to poke someone's eyes out... and that's how screwed up society is...

In other health news, if you're looking for information on the carbohydrate debate, check out this post.

Today's Small Victories
1) I started a day with a 30 minute walk. Despite the endless battle between walking and staying in bed, I'm glad my walking shoes won!
2) I went to the 4pm class when I could have ditched the WOD all together.

Warm-up
Prep for WOD.

CrossFit One World WOD
Tabata row for calories. Rest 5 minutes.

Then, complete 5 rounds for time of:
10 deadlifts at 60% of 1 rep max (I scaled to 145#)
100 jump rope rotations

Joanne's Final Time - 40 calories; 14:53

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I hate jump ropes. I'm glad we had the day off from strength training... sort of. For the tabata row, I did 5 calories through each round. Weird! It was frustrating because the first 10 seconds only got me one calorie. The last four were done in the last ten seconds. Boo! Kudos if that made sense to you.

role model

It's International Women's Day. In honor of the holiday, I'd like to introduce you all to Haunani Kay Trask. Here's a snippet of her bio:

Haunani-Kay Trask is a riveting public speaker, indigenous leader, and human rights organizer in her Native land of Hawai‘i. She has spoken at venues across the Pacific, including New Zealand and Australia, in the United States and Canada, in Europe, including at the United Nations in Geneva, the Human Rights forum in Strasbourg, and the Basque country in Spain, and in Africa at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa.

For the past twenty years, Trask has enlightened audiences about conditions facing indigenous peoples, including the global struggle for human rights. Described by the San Francisco Examiner as the “radical firebrand, feminist author and native daughter of royal blood who is one of the leaders of a growing sovereignty movement in Hawai‘i,” Trask was ranked one of the top Native leaders in a 2001 poll taken by The Honolulu Advertiser.

Trask has authored four books, including the bestseller, From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawai‘i. Alice Walker has called the book, “A masterpiece on decolonization,” that is “so powerful, it will change the way you think about Hawai‘i and all the lands seized by force forever.”

Trask's book From A Native Daughter changed my life. It shaped my political and academic thinking and inspired me to take a stand for things I truly believe in. Trask is the embodiment of strength and beauty. This is why I honor her on this day.

Speaking of International Women's day... what the f--k is up with the 7:15pm CrossFit class?! It used to be almost all women (with an occasional visit from Jerry L., Chris L. Alex C., John W., etc.)! Tonight the obscene 7:15 had sixteen people in it! By far, it was the largest class of the day. WTF?! fathlete confession: Okay. I know this is unfair of me. Anyone is free to go to whatever class they want to. But when your presence interferes with me getting a rack for the back squat and I have to proxy as a human weight rack because none of the guys were gentlemen enough to give up their rack, then we have problems! (insert mad face)

Today's Small Victories
1) Despite the weight rack fiasco, I was still nice! (insert mad face)

Warm-up
Prep for WOD

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Squat 1/1/1 Go for new one rep max!
165/175/190 (PR!)

Conditioning:
Complete 10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 reps for time of:
wallballs 10#
jumping pull-ups
burpees.

Joanne's Final Time - 14:50

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Tonight was my first night on the new floor. I'm still adjusting. I think it's a great space, but I miss seeing the krav and BJJ folks. However, I know the expansion is needed. Yes, I acknowledge that for the other programs, the CrossFitters aren't the easiest to deal with. We're loud, pretentious, and take up a lot of space (and I mean that in every way). I was thrown off even more by the size of tonight's class. Sixteen people?! It was double the size it normally is and equipment was scarce. I'm a princess when it comes to that stuff....

I got a new PR on the back squat. I wanted to try to hit 195# or 200#. Unfortunately, time was running out and with 5 people on the same rack, it was hard. (Again, BOO! to the guys who wouldn't give up their racks! Thank you to Jerry L. and rack partner for letting the girls share.) Of course, any WOD with burpees sucks!

Other notes on this weekend's workouts.... On Saturday I took a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. It's a good way to start the day. On Sunday I ran 5K with Miss Lori.

friday light

This is a poster only a CrossFitter could love... fathlete confession: I don't love this poster. Hopefully that doesn't mean that my CrossFit card will be taken away.

Sigh. Tomorrow is the Rob Wolf nutrition seminar at One World. I wish I were going. Unfortunately $195 is a pretty penny that I simply can't afford (insert sad face). Will someone please take good notes? Thanks!

Today's Workout
1 hour yoga
1 hour belly dance

Notes (to myself) about this workout: It's been a long time since I've done this. A few months back I contemplated canceling my membership to the local globo-gym. However, my yoga teacher urged me not to because in case I ever wanted to take yoga, dance, or spin, I'd never find a gym that would do all that for $19 a month. She's right. Though it's been a while since I've been to globo-gym, I'm glad I'm back. Believe it or not, CrossFit isn't everything!

I was nervous to go back to belly dance because it had been ages. What made it worse was that my teacher made me dance in the front. That means the rest of the class has to follow you... that means if you mess up, so does the rest of the class. I did okay, but I'm a bit rough on the edges. Gah!

this can't be good.

It's not a good sign when I have this on my ipod's rotation...

It's even worse when I find myself lamenting on the fact that I'm thirty-four and I'm still wondering what the hell this feels like. In addition, I want to throw rocks at the schmuck who invited me to a seminar called, "We're in a Relationship, Now What?" If I were in a f--king relationship, "Now What?" would be the last question on my mind. In the name of avoiding slitting my wrists, I think I need to call an official ban on Sade and Sex and the City on DVD.

Today's Small Victories
1) I PR'd on the bench press!

Warm-up
Prep for WOD.
Bench Press: 10x45#/6x65#/3x75#

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Bench Press 1/1/1 (Go for new one rep max!)
85/95/100 (fail)/100 (PR!)/102 (fail)

Conditioning:
Complete 3 rounds for time of:
5 overhead squats @ 60% of 1 rep max (53#)
7 burpees
15 jumping pull-ups
Rest 90 seconds. Repeat for a total of 4 cycles.

Joanne's Final Time - 5:48/6:04/6:27/6:08

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I'm not sure what my 1 rep max is for the OH squat. I do know that my 3 rep max is 80#. Therefore, I settled on 53#. It was a good weight. This was a tough WOD that completely beat the shit out of me. I'm sure I cried sometime after the first cycle. I don't even want to go into it right now. I didn't even jump for the burpees in the last cycle. I was thrashed!

twins

I'm not a big fan of this film. But I love this movie poster. It reminds me of two people I know and on occasion, adore. Heh:)

Some health articles for you:
The Five Foods You Should Eat Every Day
Seven foods chefs avoid right now
If you want to know what produce is currently in season, click here. What an amazing resource!

Today's Small Victories
1) I missed going to the box today. Though a rest day, I wanted to work on pull-ups and GHD sit-ups. Instead, I chose to help my students with their papers. I refuse to feel bad about this.

Morning Workout: 1 hour yoga

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Yoga rocks. I'm not a fan of the downward dog. It hurts my upper back because I'm still trying to get used to it. Oh well...

kudos

I just wanted to give kudos to Roya. She really worked through tonight's WOD. It was tough, but she made it! Congrats chica!

Today's Small Victories
1) I tried to have a morning walk but the rain stopped me. I didn't feel guilty about it.

Warm-up
Prep for WOD

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Deadlift 4 sets x 3 reps at 82% of 1 rep max
Note: I needed to protect my back. Therefore, I scaled down to just 175#

Conditioning: "The Horrible Hundred"
Complete the following for time:
25 deadlifts 163#
25 squat clean and jerks 73#
25 thrusters 63# (rx)
25 overhead squats 33# (rx)

Joanne's Final Time - 20:45

Notes (to myself) about this workout: This was every bit of awful as I had remembered it. Bleh.

is it ok to be fat?

A very BIG THANK YOU to Miss Angela. A group of us had dinner on Friday for Chinese New Year. It was delicious! This photo was taken before the LBN challenge in January where Angela and I negotiated her participation over cupcakes!

I found this link via Big Fat Blog. ABC Nightline recently hosted a debate titled, "Is it OK to be Fat?" You can watch it here. Here's the description:

The "Face Off" is a recurring series where opposing sides debate hot topics. In the fifth installment of the series, Crystal Renn, model and author of "Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves" and Marianne Kirby, co-author of "Lessons From the Fat-O-Sphere" will face off against MeMe Roth, president of National Action Against Obesity and Kim Bensen, author of "Finally Thin," on dieting, obesity and whether it's OK to be fat.

For the record, I have a newfound respect for Crystal Renn and when I get the chance, I'm totally buying her book! I also think MeMe Roth has some issues that need to be sorted out. Seriously sister. You honestly believe that the brain of an obese person is smaller than that of a normal person? Well, this is where I get to shove my elite Berkeley post-graduate education up you ass! Heh!

In related news, check out this article about Kirstie Alley's new show A Big Life. I agree with the author. Miss Alley, please quit your whining and love thy self!

On another note, here's an article that outlines what food is worth buying in organic form. Very informative!

Today's Small Victories
1) New month. New goals. New focus! Admittedly, I've been slacking since the challenge ended. My meter readings have showed it. Also, my weight is at a standstill. I can't seem to shake off this 3 pound range. (Um, the bad eating doesn't help either.) Here's an article that talks about getting through the plateau.

Warm-up
In the morning, I rolled out of bed and took a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. Great way to start the day!

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Squat 3 sets x 2 reps @ 92% of your one rep max (170#)
Push Press 3/3/3/3
75/85/95

Conditioning:
Complete as many rounds as you can in 3 minutes of:
10 box jumps
3 handstand push-ups
6 star jumps
Rest 90 seconds. Start next cycle where you left off the previous cycle. Complete four cycles total. Your score is total rounds completed in all four cycles.

Joanne's Final Count - 9 rounds + 1 star jump

Notes (to myself) about this workout: For the strength portion, I was a little nervous because Miss Angela was there and I just get nervous lifting around an oly lifting pro like her. She is just f--kin' mad strong! I was surprised because 170# felt really good. I'm hoping to hit a good 1 rep PR next week!

I'm not sure what my push press max is. I don't think I've ever done one. If I did, it was ages ago. If I recall correctly, I think my 1 rep max was somewhere in the 90# range. Tonight's 95# was a little tough. In fact, my last rep looked the best. The first one looked more like a push jerk. The second looked more like a push press and the last rep was a true push press.

For the conditioning, I was happy to find that my handstand push-ups were much stronger. The next time we do them, I'm switching over to the higher box at a 90 degree stance. I'm also happy to announce that my star jumps were consistent (ahem, consistently ah-may-zah-zing!). I was not going to have Freddy take photos of my craziness! I still suck at box jumps and almost tripped once. Bleh!

lmfao

I'm not big on text/IM language. But LMFAO is the only thing I can say about the two videos below. Ah, CrossFit vids definitely make me smile!




Today's Small Victories
1) I threw in the towel!

Today's Workout
1 hour of yoga

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I stupidly left my gym bag at home. This is why I had to skip out on working out tonight. Oh well. At least I made it to yoga this morning. It was good. I love my new yoga mat. Also, I am enjoying the cleansing sweat that yoga gives me. It's hard, but it's the only place where I'm okay with not doing the sequences "rx'd." Wednesday morning yoga is also great after shredding my back from Tuesday deadlifts. ha ha! (Okay. Not so funny but...)

health stats

Ah yes. Two things that bring a smile to my face. Red velvet cupcakes and my dear friend John W. This was taken at the Fish Tourney when a small group of us shared the cupcakes that Mikee I. brought. I'd tell you about John W.'s vivd description of the cupcakes... but I like to keep things PG-13 around here. And that is the end of all things smiley (for now).

Yesterday was my doctor appointment. I was anxiously awaiting my test results because I was positive that with the challenge and all, my Ha1c was going to rock! In September, it was the lowest it had ever been at 5.8. I did this without even trying! Ideally, I should be in the mid 5 to mid 6 range. However, as long as I'm somewhere in the 6 range, I should be fine. Sadly, my results came back at 6.7! I don't know how the hell that happened. I was so sure I'd hit the high 5 range again. Gah! Note: All of my other readings are fine and my blood pressure is fantastic!

I've spent the last day or so beating myself up for the bad numbers. They just don't make sense. To get 6.7 while making a conscious effort to change the diet and such is discouraging. Yes. It made me want to eat a cupcake. But I didn't because I figured those suckers were the culprits!

For now, I'm trying to figure out a game plan that works. Exercise is fine. I've been back on primal after having a "loose" week. At this point, all I'm focusing on is the diet. I'm taking another test in May because that will be a better indicator of whether eating primal really works. (Note: The 6.7 could be from eating badly over the holidays and such because it covers Nov-Jan.) I let it be clear to doctor that I want to get off the meds. Right now, I've decided to completely cut the lipitor and focus on taking more fish oils. My cholesterol levels were great - especially considering that I rarely took the lipitor (only 2-3 times per week as opposed to everyday). The doc is also pushing real hard for me to take a flu and H1N1 shot. I'm not doing it. Though the doc and I don't see eye to eye, I have to take a stand some time! At thirty-four, I figure the less s--t in my body, the better. I want food to be my medicine. Also, I feel like I'm taking meds just so that I can handle eating s--t. If eating s--t is causing the problems, I should just train myself to eat better and lay off the meds. Period.

It's tough. I hate being a slave to my body. A slave to the diabetes. There has to be a better way to handle this. Right now, I'm still trying to figure out what works...

Today's Small Victories
1) I did some cookin'!
2) I love my back way more than I love deadlifts.

Warm-up
Row 500 meters

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Deadlift 5 sets x 3 reps @ 80% of your 1 rep max
Note: 80% of my 1 rep max is 204#. Since my back is a little sore, I scaled down to 175#. It was plenty.

Conditioning:
Complete as many rounds as you can in 12 minutes of:
3 clean and jerk @ 65% of your one rep max (63#)
6 pull-ups (modified)
9 Abmat sit-ups.

Joanne's Final Count - 6 + 1 sit-up

Notes (to myself) about this workout: There seems to be some mix-up on the WOD because at the box, I swear the sequence was 3-6-9. On the website, it's 3-7-10. Oh well...

Though it's been almost two months, I still don't like the idea of warming up with heavy weights. I think people who can do well are those who come in early to warm-up or do a class before hand. Heavy lifting without a proper warm-up just isn't safe for my body. These days I've been trying to avoid injury by letting go of my ego and going lighter if need be. Besides, it's not like I'm training for the games or trying to be crowned Miss CrossFit. At the end of the day, it's my body and my workout.

I will say that I do like the strength and conditioning combo. I just need to make adjustments accordingly. (Big thanks to Jerry L. for the talk today.)

Today's WOD was fair. My max on the clean & jerk (to my knowledge) is about 93#. I thought 63# was light, but it does get to you in those later rounds. The squat clean is no joke!

battle of the booty: lulu vs. lucy

The hatha power pant by Lucy.

The groove pant by lululemon.

Everyone I know goes ga-ga over lululemon. I think it's a CrossFit thing. Also, when Freddy declares that lululemons make your ass look great, how can you not want a pair of lululemon workout pants? Personally, I own two pairs of lulu capri pants that I managed to get at a great markdown. (Even the sales lady was shocked at how inexpensive they were!) In fact, that's how I manage to get anything at lululemon. Completely marked down, completely by chance. I don't think my pants make my ass look special. But that's because I don't have the groove pant that everyone raves about. I've tried them on and yes, they are magical. The compression smoothes out the cellulite and lifts the butt. But at $98 a pair, it's a tough buy for me. Granted, lulus are worth the money because they'll alter the pant as needed. Plus, they're a quality product. In fact, I LOVE all their products because they're thoughtfully designed!

However, I wanted to draw your attention to another store that I think is under-rated: Lucy. They have stores in Santana Row and Standford Shopping Center. Like lululemon, lucy is an athletic store (unfortunately, they don't have a men's line). I don't think lucy is as popular, but they're a definite gem. If you're looking for the booty-lifting effect of lulus, then I say check out the power hatha pant and the new perfect core pant by lucy. They're a little less expensive ($88/$98 respectively). This weekend I tried on both lucy pants and read some online reviews. The pants fit great. Personally, I prefer the hatha pant because I like a lower rise. The compression on both pants are great (there seems to be more compression with the perfect core pant). Though lucy doesn't do alterations like lulu (lulu will do alterations on sale items for no charge!) does, their pants do come in lengths! Also, people have been complaining about the pilling and linting that happens with lulus. The lucy pants don't have this issue. Woot!

Here's the BIG PLUS... if you go to the lucy website and sign up for their mailing list, they'll regularly send you discount coupons. Right now, they're running a 20% discount on all regular-priced merchandise. (Contact me with your email if you want the code.) Also, their sales are much better than lulu because lucy sales feel like actual sales! (lulu shoppers know what I'm talking about!)

Don't get me wrong, I still love lululemon. I think it's a great brand and a great company. However, if you like high quality and need a little more bang for your buck, then I highly recommend you check out lucy!

Warm-up
Row 500 meters

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Squat 4 sets x 2 reps @ 90% of your one rep max
Note: As usual, I read this wrong. Using 165#, I my sets looked like this: 5/2/2

Press 5x5 @ 65% of your one rep max
Note: I used a 50# weight.

Conditioning: "Air Force"
Complete the following for time: 20 thrusters/20 sumo deadlift high pulls/20 push jerks/20 overhead squats/ 20 front squats. At the beginning of every minute, you must do 4 burpees. 53#

Joanne's Final Time - 20:50

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Air Force sucked! I did okay with the first three movements. I think I rested somewhere in there. When it came to the OH squats, I did sets of 5 with a one minute rest in between. By the time I got to front squats, I did those last three sets with only two burpees. It was killer, but I wouldn't mind doing it again just to see if I got stronger.

SLC Sole Team

I just wanted to give some major kudos to my dear friends Alex and Rex. They just launched a new running group called SLC Sole Team. Please check out their site to find out more information about training for and running a marathon or half marathon.

This Weekend's Workout
Friday: 1 hour yoga
Sunday: 2.5 mile power walk (in the rain!)

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I'm glad that I'm back in yoga mode. I'm also glad I braved the rain to have a power walk. Yea.

special

I found this on my friend Miam's FB page. It rocks!

Today's Small Victories
1) It's not a victory. But I totally binged today. Bleh.
2) I did that hellacious WOD that ended up being a complete MISPRINT on Freddy's part. I hate you Freddy. I. hate. you.

Warm-up
Two 500 meter row attempts.
Stretching

CrossFit One World WOD
10 minutes of front squat work.

Complete 4 rounds for time of:
5 pull-ups (modified)
10 box jumps 12"
15 dumbbell push press 15#
Rest 90 seconds. Repeat for four cycles

Joanne's Final Time - 6:16/6:47/6:50/6:32

Notes (to myself) about this workout: This wasn't as bad as people described. I think I could have done 18#-20# on the dumbells. Box jumps suck. I'm glad it's over.

downward dog

I have a Ballys membership that I haven't used in months. I used to do yoga there but for some stupid reason I stopped. Yesterday I decided to start it up again. My word. I don't know why I left to begin with. Yoga is fantastic. I'll be spending my Wednesday and Friday mornings doing it. Yea!

Today's Small Victories
1) I started yoga today!

Warm-up
Run 800 meters

CrossFit One World WOD
Pull-up work.

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I'm glad that Freddy put the rest days back. Wednesdays will now be my "suck days." Last night I worked on the pull-up with the band. At the end of the hour, Girl Crush finally showed up and told me to just do a regular pull-up using two bands (yes, my upper body strength is that weak!). It was hard, but I can see what work needs to be done. Once I develop my upper body strength, then I can move on to the kipping pull-up. Well, that's the plan for now...