the human race

I ran 8 miles today. My pace was 13:05 per mile and I ran it in Fremont. As mentioned before, I am training for a half marathon. Though the Human Race was only 6.2 miles, Margaret and I had to log in 8 miles to be on par with our training schedule. Next week we hit 10 miles!

As with all the long runs, they were fine. We signed up to do the race at Valley Fair, but the south bay heat is a little too much for Margaret who usually trains in the early morning. No biggie. It was less driving anyway. Also, I'm not familiar with the route at Valley Fair yet. By the time the Nike Women's Half Marathon rolls around, it will be colder, so running in the south bay should be fine. Besides, I'm looking forward to the water stations and DJs they have set up.

The only thing that irked me was that when I plugged in my SportBand to log my run, it completely died. The online reviews mentioned that for people who sweat a lot, they've had issues with the band short circuiting. Unfortunately, that happened on race day. So according to the computer program, I didn't even run the human race. Boo!

I immediately called the people at Nike and they sent me the appropriate labels to return the band. I told them I was going to the nearest store to replace the one that broke and they were fine with that. Yea for Nike!

The good thing was that while I was running, I saw two women running together and one of them was wearing the Human Race t-shirt. It was nice to be in good company.

We didn't take photos of us running, but here are some photos from the post-run meal. Enjoy!


Eight miles ain't no joke. You definitely build up your appetite. Here's Margaret feasting on palabok and empanada from Red Ribbon. Oooh! Which to bite in to first?!


Puh-lease. No doubt about it. Empanada for appetizer. Palabok for the main course. Any questions? Good!


The ecstatic Diana (and esteemed member of our ground crew) cheers for good food!

running for the human race

This is the Amazing Caroline Barnes (ACB). Unfortunately, she no longer trains at One World because she lives pretty far from here. I miss her energy and her laughter. My most memorable ACB moment was when I was struggling with a WOD and she came out looking for me during the final 800 meter run. She ran the rest of the way with me to keep me company. Now that's how a trooper helps a fathlete finish!

I know I said I was going to run four miles yesterday. Thing is, I was just tired. These days, I'm trying to give my body what it needs. If it needs rest, then so be it. I was extremely productive though, devouring two books and getting some transcribing done. Even I amaze myself sometimes!

Today I skipped yoga and belly dance to get in the 4 miles I missed. It was a hard run and I had a 12:50 pace. This is the part of the training that gets hard. Though the Human Race is only 6.2 miles, I have to complete 8 miles to be on par with my half marathon training. I'll do it because that's just the trooper I am.

Today's run was hard because the weather was so damn hot. I started to walk it, but when Margaret decided to run it, I thought I'd suck it up and do it. It was hard, but I did it. And I'm glad I did it.

You may have noticed that I re-vamped the blog. After some deep thought and conversation, I decided to reclaim my identity as a fathlete (yeah, read the side bar). At this age and point in my life, I'm just tired of hating my body - especially considering what I put it through day in and day out. (Do I really need to loathe a body that will do 112 burpees one day and 70 burpees the next? NO!) So here's to my new quest to, as Don Miguel Ruiz would say, honor my physical body. Cheers to those who are brave enough to join me in this quest.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is an old photo of Chong doing a modified handstand push-up. There are several variations to doing this. Today's WOD required a handstand push-up and the one I did was similar to this one in that I used the white bars for the dip. The difference was that instead of having my feet up like Chong, I had my knees on two wooden boxes. I liked today's variation much better than this one.

Warm-up
Run 800 meters
Three rounds of:
10 Shoulder Rolls
Samson Stretch
Quad Stretches

WOD: This shit sucks!
For time:
30 Modified Handstand push-ups
40 Jumping Pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 35#
60 Assisted Abmat Sit-ups
70 Burpees

Joanne's Final Time - 31:02

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
One would think that after yesterday's hellish "Death By Burpee" WOD that I would opt to skip this one. Wrong. I decided to do the CrossFit dot com WOD because I thought it would be good for me. Whatever. This sucked. I got through it, but it sucked! I got through the first four exercises in under 14 minutes. The rest of the time I was doing burpees. BOO! It took most people about 17-20 minutes to finish. I was aiming for 35 minutes, so to get done in over 31 minutes was a gift. I wish the WOD didn't feel like such a struggle. But they all do.

After four days in a row of tough exercise, I'm taking advantage of the CrossFit rest day by just doing a 4 mile maintenance run tomorrow. Yea for me.

Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

I found this article and thought it would be helpful for my and anyone else's health choices. I'm not big on counting calories, so to have simple suggestions is nice. Lazy clickers, you know your cue! Enjoy!

Lose Weight Without Counting Calories
Posted Wed, Aug 20, 2008, 10:20 am PDT
Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief

I've never been a big fan of counting calories. In fact, in the past year, I have lost about 30 pounds without counting a single dietary digit. Sure, I know recording everything you put in your mouth can help peel off pounds, but I also know that obsessing over calories makes you more likely to eat lowfat, low-fiber foods that wouldn't satiate a starling.

Instead of crunching numbers, I munched on healthy food to become a weight loss success. If a food lover like me can do it, you can, too! Try these tips:

• Pick up produce. Have at least one fruit and veggie at every meal. On busy days when I know my lunch won't have a smidge of green in it, I have two fruits at breakfast; I toss berries or peaches into my nonfat Greek yogurt and sprinkle it with granola. I love asparagus, green pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, sprouts, endive and more. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, which staves off hunger. Shoot for nine servings daily. It sounds like a lot, but if you don't have to be a rabbit to reach that goal. Eat a salad at lunch or dinner, and you're there.

• Snack smart. Add protein (such as a stick of lowfat string cheese or Parmesan) to your between-meal bites. Research suggests protein may enhance the effect of leptin, a hormone that reins in appetite. I love hummus and dip veggies into it instead of pita bread or crackers. Protein is also filling and can help curb cravings for chips, cookies and the like.

• Sip more water. Dieters who swapped sugary drinks for water lose weight, but those who gulped the most H20 peeled off the most pounds, according to a study at the meeting of Obesity Society in Boston. Don’t love agua? Try the flavored kind but check the label for sugar content (it should be below 8 grams per serving).

• Map out your meals. A little attention to portions can help you eat less and still stay satisfied. Start by using a salad dish (8 inches in diameter) and divide it into quarters to help keep helpings healthy. Half the plate should get veggies, top another quarter with lean protein (3 to 6 ounces of fish, chicken or tofu) and the last quarter with whole grains (1/2 to 1 cup of brown rice, sweet potatoes or whole wheat pasta).

• Eat every meal. When you wait longer than five hours between bites, your body may release extra cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite. I call it "hangry." I get hungry and angry: My stomach starts to burn and my brain gets annoyed at every little thing. Then I eat whatever is in front of me, usually a cookie or other sweet, empty-calorie treat. I realize I'm putting out the "hangry" fires, but it is better not to get there in the first place!

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Warm-up
800 meter run

WOD: Death By Burpees
Complete as may burpees as you can in 20 minutes

Joanne's Final Count - 112 burpees

For an example of what a standard burpee is, check out the following video:


Notes (to myself) about this workout:
There's a reason why this is called "Death By Burpees." At the end of the twenty minutes, I wanted to die! Literally. I've discovered that when you do something like this, you really have to strategize. My goal was to reach 100 burpees, so I averaged 5 burpees per minute. It doesn't sound like a lot. But 20 minutes of it really gets to you. I averaged 5 burpees in about 20 seconds and had 40 seconds to rest. I could feel it in my legs as the time clock kept running. At the last few rounds, Eric had me push and do more. That's how I got to 112 burpees. I'm glad that I went over my goal. It was tough. I think next time I'll aim for 6 per minute to build up to 120 burpees. The rest is important. I want to say it's even more important than the burpees themselves. For the record, this is my least favorite WOD and my least favorite exercise. UGH. The dot com WOD includes doing 70 burpees tomorrow. Lord help me with this one.

After the WOD, I did a nice long stretch. That was awesome!

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is Jolie and Darryl workin' the Fit as F**k shirts. I used to have one, but I passed it on to my nephew who is now on Guam. I hope he's putting it to good use. I'd wear this shirt more often just to be funny. But oh well. Jolie and Darryl are definitely Fit as F**k. I'd be happy with just being remotely fit.

Warm-up
One hour of yoga

WOD: Murph
For time:
1.1 mile Run
100 Jumping Pull-ups
200 Push-ups (on knees)
300 Squats
1.1 mile Run

Joanne's Final Time - 1:08:40

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
As you can already tell, this WOD sucked! I didn't want to do it because technically, I should be resting from yesterday's run. I saw the chiropractor today and talked about my knee issue. He said that given the area where I'm sore, I really need to make it a point to stretch and ice my knees. Again, another thing I forget to do. When I did the marathon in 2005, I always took ice baths after the long run. They were a pain, but it helped. So now I need to ice. In fact, I'm sitting in my room with an ice pack on one knee and in ten minutes I'll be switching over to the other knee.

To make this WOD more bearable, I broke up the middle part. This was per Brad and Raz's suggestion. I did 20 rounds of: 5 jumping pull-ups, 10 push-ups on knees and 15 squats. I have to say that it did make it more bearable. But the WOD sucked anyway. Brad finished in about 44 minutes, which made me realize that this was going to take me about twice that time. I was hoping to do it under 90 minutes, 75 minutes being optimal. I ended up finishing the WOD in 68 minutes and 40 seconds. Yea for me. The truly hardcore do this WOD with a 20# vest. I don't ever plan on being psycho.

After the WOD, I did a good, self-guided 20 minute stretch session. Also, yoga rocked today. Because of today's run, I'm taking a running break tomorrow. CrossFit only. Yea.

sunday run

Today was another long run day. I did the prescribed 8 miles. Much to my surprise, my pace was 12:37 per mile. The entire run took me 1:41:41. I was surprised that I hit under 13 minutes per mile. A part of me wonders if my Nike band was faulty. Hmph. When you've trained for a full marathon, a half marathon seems to be not as serious. However, I'm realizing that I have to start all over and I have to take the training as seriously as I did for the full marathon. Besides, it's still 13.1 miles and that still ain't no joke! So I have to be mindful of a few things:

1) carbo-loading two days before the long run
2) getting up early enough on the long run to eat and prep for the run
3) stretching after the run

I'm generally good on the third point. However, my knees have been slightly sore. Actually, it's not so much my knees than it is the area above my knees. I'm not sure why it is. I'll have the chiropractor look at it tomorrow. Also, my hamstrings have been really sore and sometimes I feel like a cramp is coming along. I think I need to eat bananas.

Today's run was okay. The first half was great. The last mile was a bit of a struggle. I'm training at the mileage where I'm going to need some ground support because one bottled water isn't enough to carry me. Hmph. See? This is why you train with organizations such as Team In Training. They provide that support for you. These days I'm really tired. I'm not sure what's going on with me. I think it's my eating. I need to be better at it.

Right now I'm taking lots of notes and working on upping my energy levels. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

friday light

As mentioned, I've been tired and have been off CrossFit because of other engagements. Today I worked so I just did an hour of yoga. I needed it. It felt good. Yoga isn't for everyone and on some days it isn't for me. But I'm in there now and it feels good. I enjoy the challenge and the stretch. CrossFit humbles you, but not in the way yoga does. I suggest you all try a little yoga. It's like biting into a piece of humble pie.

slow run

Today's CrossFit Games athlete is Josh. Believe it or not, the kid is only sixteen years old and is built like one of those Under Armor mannequins you see at the store. It's sick how fit and talented this kid is. He's going to have a great future in CrossFit! Congrats on the games, kid!

Again, I'm not sure what's going on with my body, but it's just damn sore. I couldn't make it to CrossFit because of some plans I had previously made. (They were cancelled at the last minute, but then replaced with a new set of plans. Go figure!) Anyway... so no CrossFit today. I did manage to squeeze in a run which was great. The only thing was it was a slow and hard run. My goal was to do 4 miles, but my body wanted to cut it short. When this happens, I never know if it's because my body can't do it or if my body just doesn't want to do it. It's a tough call. But I pulled through with the four miles. I was at my slowest pace at 13: 07 per mile. I didn't care. I just wanted it done.

I so need a good, long deep tissue massage.

rest day

I missed my workouts because my mentor is in town and we really needed to meet. It was fate because I am exhausted. I think it's my eating. I'm not getting enough nutrients and am in the market for a good vitamin supplement. Liquid preferably, and one that doesn't break the bank. I haven't taken vitamins in about a month because none are suitable to my body's needs. I'd share details, but you really don't want to know.

Anyway... this brings me to my main point. If you're training for something and your body is simply tired, just rest. On a rare occasion, I tend to feel guilty for resting. These days, I've been better at letting go of that guilt. Granted, I didn't workout much when I was in LA, so I should be fresh and ready to go. But I think the seven mile run wiped me out. Again, odd because it was only seven miles. Oh well... In the spirit of resting, Freddy posted the following thoughts about rest days. Enjoy and I'll see you all at the gym or trail tomorrow!

YESSSS! It's rest day! Why is the rest day important? Rest is important to muscle repair, as discussed in yesterday's post. More importantly (and in my very humble opinion) rest is important for the mind! When you become more acclimated to the Crossfit workout , you will throw yourself at it harder and harder each time. The mental fortitude needed to give yourself up physically for three days straight is just as draining as the workout itself. The rest day is your day to get your mind fresh again. Think about that anxiety you get when you first read what the workout is. We often experience what I like to call "The Dread"." Nervousness, anxiety, making up excuses on why you don't need to workout that day.... "The Dread" can kick your ass. We need that rest day to get a break from "The Dread." I don't know about you, but I never experience "The Dread" while I am contemplating sitting on my couch and watching "So You Think You Can Dance" reruns on my TIVO.

You may be asking, "What about making up the workout I missed?" No worries. You can throw yourself at the WODs for four days straight. I have cycles like that myself sometimes. It happens. I have been Crossfitting for awhile now and I am at a comfortable spot physically where lately if I miss a workout, sometimes I don't even bother to make it up. Trying to maintain the 3 on/1 off cycle can take over your life. Work with it. Everyone is different both mentally and physically. Play around with your workout cycles and learn what works best for you!

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words

Pictured above is Jason Khalipa of CrossFit Santa Clara. Um. It doesn't take a genius to figure out which one is Jason. He's the guy who won first place at the CrossFit games this year. I don't know Jason. I'm sure I've seen him milling around One World at one point. But we've never formally met. I do give the guy props for being #1 at the games and of course, being an informal part of the One World family. Jason just opened up a new facility called CrossFit Santa Clara. Though new, it seems to be doing well. I haven't had the chance to visit the box, but I really like checking out their site because they do CrossFit "celebrity" features and it totally cracks me up because these "celebrities" are often everyday folk who do CrossFit in other places. Congrats to Jason and much success to the new facility!

I lifted this from the One World site a few days ago. I think it's sound fitness advice. Enjoy.

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds,some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean & jerk, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.

Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.

Regularly learn and play new sports.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Here she is again. Queen Jolie at last year's CrossFit Games where she won first place as the best all around female (or something like that). We all know that Jolie rocks. And here are the photos from the main CrossFit site to prove it. So glad to have you at One World!

Warm-up
Chatting away with near and dear friends.

WOD: "J-Ro's Running Angel"
Four rounds of:
Run 800 meters
25 push-ups
25 sit-ups
25 squats

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
Today was an Eric -free day. This was good because my body was just a bit tired. I really need to tweak my eating because I don't think I'm getting enough protein. Maybe that's why I was a little out of it. Also, I was still sore from Sunday's run. The One World WOD was "Angie" which consisted of: 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 100 squats for time. I've never done Angie as listed because I usually break it up into 4 sets of 25 of each exercise. I guess it's best to do the WOD as listed. But I don't do it that way because 100 reps of anything just bores the shit out of me. I wanted to take advantage of my Eric-free day and still recover properly, which is why I created my "J-Ro's Running Angel" WOD. It combined the running I needed to do for my half marathon training and the movements from "Angie" sans the jumping pull-ups. I opted out of the jumping pull-ups just because I didn't want to. Is it so terrible that I wanted to bounce as little as possible? So anyway...

I didn't time my signature WOD. I just wanted to finish. There was a lot of running, so I didn't warm up either. I did the WOD sanely and finished nicely. I did take a small conversation break after the second round because people near and dear that I haven't seen in ages popped into the studio. I just had to say hello. So yes, I worked, but I took it a little easy because my body needed the rest. As always, I ended with a 10 minute stretch. It was nice.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is my coach Eric. Um. Enjoy the moment in this photo because CrossFit is never this artful or pretty.

Warm-up
Run 800 meters
THREE rounds of TEN reps of:
Samson Stretch
Shoulder Rolls
Overhead Squats

WOD: "Tabata This"
A tabata is 20 seconds of work and ten seconds of rest performed eight times. Perform a tabata cycle at each of the following exercises. Rest one minute between exercises. Score is the total of the lowest amount of reps done in any of the eight rounds for each exercise. The exercises are as follows:

Jumping Pull-ups: 75 total
Push-ups: 8/6/5/5/5/5/5/5 - 44 total
Sit-ups: 3/6/4/5/7/7/7/7 - 46 total
Squats: 11/10/12/10/10/10/10/10 - 83 total

Joanne's Tabata Total: 248

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
Like most CrossFit WODs, this one sucked. However, it was a good one to come to after such a long hiatus. I was hoping to break 200, so to get 248 was nice. My legs were burning during the squats. I had to do my not-so-sexy grunt. I swear I'm not cute when I work out. It's sad, really. The elite men at the studio ranged between 350 to 450. As always, I could improve. But this was a good start. Tomorrow's WOD is Angie. I don't know if I'm willing to do it because I did almost the same thing today. UGH. We'll see.

Though I didn't train much while I was away, I did nourish my mind with some reading suggested by Freddy. I'm half way done with Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food. It's something I recommend you all read because it lays out the politics of food and why we should start changing the way we eat. It's a healthy read for me because it reaffirms what my body tells me - that it needs nutrients and I need to be more mindful of how I feed it. I'll give a full report when I'm done.

training on vay-cay

"My what BIG BALLS you have!" says Little Red Riding Hood. The big bad wolf responds, "Better to _____ you with my dear!"

So I missed my shot to caption this when Freddy posted it on the One World site. But this was my contender. I think I did a pretty good job. On a more serious note, this photo is of one of our members doing weighted pull-ups. Rumor has it that it's Roman. Um, don't you think the weighted vest would have been much easier?! I train with those kettle bells. Now, I don't know if I even want to touch them. Ew! ha ha ha!

Anyway... the real point of this whole rant was training while on vay-cay. Truth is, for as much as I prepared for training, I didn't do much of it. I was mostly working and mostly recovering. I did manage to do as much walking as I could. In the LA heat, that's a total accomplishment. When in San Diego, I did sneak in a walk at the beach in Coronado. I probably shouldn't count it since Mae and I stopped in the middle to have drinks. Um, but I still want to count it as some form of physical activity. I didn't have a car while in LA, so yes, I did walk to various locations when I couldn't be driven around. The rumors are true. Nobody walks in LA (unless they're visiting from the bay). The one thing I did manage was to take a Zumba class with Mae at the Heartbeat House in LA. That was hard. Fun, but hard. Oh what I would do if there was a Heartbeat House nearby. I'd go crazy! I think when running season is over, I'm going to sign up to take a Zumba class near my sister's house. I'm a sucker for dance. Really, I am. I secretly like to shake my ass to loud dance music while sweating some poundage away. Really. I do. No joke.

Anyway, I did my best to train while on vay-cay. I could have done better, but I refuse to kick myself for not doing more running.

On another note, I ran seven miles today. It took me about 94 minutes to finish. My pace was 13:23 per mile. I made the mistake of starting the run after 7pm. It was dark during the last half hour or so - totally dangerous because I didn't have reflective clothing (except what was on my shoes). Also, running under the bridges in complete darkness isn't safe. You don't know what you're stepping on and you don't know what's lurking around you - people, animals, etc. My krav maga senses kicked in, but I was still concerned. Lesson learned.

Other than that, the run was pretty good considering I didn't do any maintenance runs. I actually like running in the late afternoon/early evening while the sun is out because it's much cooler. Also, I decided to opt out of the sunscreen because the sun was down and I really wanted my skin to breathe. I rarely do this, but I thought it was okay just this once. Also, I didn't have my usual sunscreen on hand. I took a different route and was happy to find that the trail was much longer, making it possible to go the full seven miles.

The mistake I made was I didn't stretch after the run. Bad Joanne! I'll be paying for it tomorrow.

too many lives, not enough luggage.

Note: I wrote this last week but didn't have the corresponding photos. Here they are now. Ta-da!

I’m in Southern California this week. I’m gone for about eight days. Not that I didn’t know this about myself. But this trip totally confirms it. I lead too many lives and planes these days don’t allow me to carry enough luggage for it.

There’s a lot on my plate these days. First off, I get to play Fierce Make-Up Artist to my dear friend’s baby sister. I’ve known Marie since she was in middle school and a proud member of the "V" club! Don't ask me what the "V" club is. It makes me twitch. Now I get to do her makeup for her wedding. You know what this means? I’m fuckin’ old. Boo. You know what else this means? I get to test my skillz and rock out some cool makeup looks. Yea!

Next, I have to play Fierce Nerd because I’m in the midst of editing a book chapter. Yeah. That’s right. I’m in another book. The anthology is about skin color hierarchy in the US and around the world. If I recall correctly, I’m either the only grad student or only one of two grad students on the project. Yeah. I’m jazzed. (Insert me poppin’ my collar.) I'm also happy because though I'm a total procrastinator, I got all the stuff I needed to edit in on time. (Who said academics don't know how to keep a deadline?! Um. I did. Yeah. Sometimes I can be wrong too.)

Finally, I play Fierce Diabetic Fathlete. Yeah. Training for The Human Race and the Nike Women’s Half Marathon puts me in constant training mode. I can’t just pack regular clothes. I have to pack my training gear (and meds which isn’t a big thing because it’s second nature to me). I thought preparing for three months in the Philippines was hard. Nope. A week in LA is hard because I need to plan my workouts accordingly. If you know me, I’m the kind of gal that hates to workout when out of town. But I have to be disciplined and learn that training is a lifestyle that I now have to pack with me. Damn!

Too many lives. Not enough luggage. It sucks to be me.

Happy Birthday, CrossFit One World!

What a blast from the past. Here is Bradass, Freddy and Pony Boy after the first official WOD. Yes, a lot has happened since then. Admittedly, I've been more off than on with CrossFit since then. But I'm happy to announce that I'm back in full force. Unfortunately, Pony Boy isn't at the studio anymore and The Breakfast Club is out of commission (with the exception of Stefaroni). I'm really excited about the future of CrossFit One World and am happy to be back with my loving (and lovely) family!

Today I learned the virtue of just listening to your body. The day started early with a 3 mile run. This is recovery week for the half marathon, so the mileage is pretty short. I decided to try to push my speed. I did fine until the last half mile when I just wanted the damn run to end! I did an 11:59 mile pace - my fastest so far. Yea for me.

I spent the day in the city attempting to have another "soul day." Lesson learned. A "soul day" just happens. You can't actually plan or expect one. Boo! Anyway, I got back to the area at around 5:30 and was exhausted! I don't know why. I just wanted to crawl in bed. I didn't feel like going to CrossFit. I went home to prepare for a short nap. Eric sent a text message saying he wasn't coming in because he had to visit a sick friend. No problem. I'll run the WOD myself. It seemed to be a very doable WOD. But then I overshot my nap and woke up later than anticipated. I missed my WOD.

No complaints though. I needed the rest. I'm not even going to try to make it up by double-WODding it some other time. My body needed the rest. I'll give it that.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is Austin of CrossFit Unlimited. Long long ago, in a land far far away, Austin used to teach Sunday classes at One World. I was never motivated enough to actually go. But I always heard about how great an instructor Austin was. I had the pleasure of taking one of Austin's classes when he filled in for someone. This was right when I got back from the Philippines. I loved the music he played and appreciated his technical knowledge. I mean, how many times do I get to hear someone go over bona fide running technique?! Anyway, I remember that class because Austin is a great teacher (something I whole heartedly respect) and because it was only the SECOND time I didn't complete the WOD. Within the week, I discovered that I failed to finish because I was dehydrated. Lesson learned. Drink your water, b---hes!

Warm-up
1 hour yoga
Run 800 meters
THREE rounds of TEN reps of:
Shoulder Rolls
Overhead Squats
Full Push-ups
AbMat Sit-ups
Back Extensions

Random Stretching

WOD
Row 1000 meters
55 pound Thruster, 21 reps
15 Jumping Pull-ups
Joanne's Final Time - 9:33

Row 750 meters
55 pound Thruster, 18 reps
12 Jumping Pull-ups
Joanne's Final Time - 7:21

Row 500 meters
55 pound Thruster, 15 reps
9 Jumping Pull-ups
Joanne's Final Time - 5:27

Rest 2 minutes between each round. Time each round separately and post times.

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
Coming in to the studio, I thought for sure I'd be doing "Grace." In fact, I was mentally preparing to do "Grace" the hard way, like how they did it at the games. And then I go to One World and Eric pulls this one on me. I would have happily done it with less bitching and moaning if I had my training gloves with me. In fact, I think I may have lost them somewhere and have to look for my back-up pair. Anyway...

With lots of chalk, I did the WOD and actually felt good about it. For the record, this doesn't mean I'm giving up on training gloves. It just means I got through today and still got to keep my pretty hands. As I told my coach Eric, "If I gotta make other people pretty, all this (motioning to my entire body) gotta be pretty too!" Ha ha ha.

I'll be out of town from Wednesday night to the following Thursday night, so I have to figure out my CrossFit options. I'm sure Eric and company will be enjoying their J-Ro break!

saturday training day

I just wanted to pay homage to the 2005 Runbutan crew. You guys rock!

Today I had get up really early to do a six mile run. Technically, I only had to do 5 miles, but I mis-marked my training calendar. I had to work at Valley Fair today, but I also had to get in the mileage. An early morning run with Miss Margaret seemed to do the trick. Technically speaking, this was my first long run of the training. Bad Joanne!

So Margaret and all these other sports folk go on and on about the "endorphin rush" one gets when working out. In truth, I really don't know what that feels like. I think it's because on the uber-long marathon runs, I always felt a range of emotions - joy, pain, misery, concern, elation. I could never tell when or if the endorphins were kicking in. In truth, I still don't know what those suckers feel like. But I will say that today's run was great.

I did over six miles and averaged a 12:54 mile. It's slow, but steady. Also, the run just felt plain good. I wasn't suffering, I wasn't struggling. It wasn't easy, it was just right. I really like the interval pace I take. Also, it gave me a good sense of what the Human Race was going to be like because it's around the same mileage.

I've been using Blister Shield and my new Nike socks that have compression on the arches and have a designated left and right sock. It seems to be working because I haven't had any blisters yet. I'll keep you posted when the higher mileage kicks in. For now, I'm glad I had a great run. I'm feeling good these days. Really good.