project: non-slip headbands

Per Gladys's request, here's a photo of me
sporting one of her awesome headbands!

Last November, my gals Lori, Lyn and I ran the Mermaid 10K. After the race, Lori and I purchased the Mermaid Series Sweaty Band, a headband that is partially lined with velvet to stay in place during rigorous workouts. I've read about them for a while and when I saw that they were selling at the race, I figured I'd treat myself to one as a victory gift.

Believe the hype. They are a GREAT product! They're cute and available in every design and color known to human kind. More importantly, they definitely stay in place during high intensity workouts. So what's the catch?

Unfortunately, I have a HUGE head (to house my insanely large, magnificent brain). While I love the headband I bought, it does slip and is a bit tight (even after it's been stretched out). Though they're worth the money, I still think $15-$18 is a bit steep for ribbon, velvet, and elastic. With that, I did a search for DIY Sweaty Bands and found this site. I then emailed my dear friend Gladys, who has been taking up sewing and asked her if she would be able to sew these bands for me. When she agreed, I started inspecting my band, trying to figure out what measurements and materials I needed. (Standard Sweaty Bands come in about 20" and I need something that's about 21" or so.) I then looked online for some ribbon and velvet and found the EXACT same ribbon as what's sold through Sweaty Bands! In case you want to make your own headbands, I suggest buying ribbon here and here.

Anyway... as stolen from Gladys's post, here is the finished product! I just received the bands today and I'm wearing one right now as we speak. They fit perfectly and I can't wait for the elastic to settle in. Also, I suggest you visit Gladys's post to get a solid sense of how to make the headbands yourself.

BUT WAIT! For those of you who aren't the crafty types but don't want to pay the high price for Sweaty Bands, then please check out BIC Bands and Chick Bands. If you email the makers directly, they can custom size your bands for you (wa-hoo!). BIC Bands are based in LA and her products run about $10 or so. The great thing is, a portion of the sales go to a different charity every month. Yea! Chick Bands, which operates out of Maryland and available through etsy, runs a little cheaper at about $8 or so. Shipping is inexpensive on both sites.

Happy shopping!

battle of the coconut water

A while back, I dedicated a post to my love of coconut. Later on, I shared my paleo find when I discovered that Trader Joe's carries zico coconut water. Well, after actually tasting the zico product (and finding out that instead of it being actual coconut water as the old label read, it's actually coconut water concentrate; I've only tasted the natural and NOT the other schmancy flavors), I have to say that it's not one of my favorite things. Granted, zico can be found everywhere and it's probably better than gatorade (but don't take my word for it). However, it just doesn't taste that great. But in a pinch, I guess it's okay. I can see how folks are all about the different flavors and stuff. But if you look at the label, it reads: "100% natural coconut water from concentrate, natural flavors." The chocolate flavored reads: "100% natural coconut water from concentrate, cane sugar, coconut cream, cocoa, vanilla, carrageenan." From concentrate? Plus there's other stuff in there too? Sorry. It's not my thing.

Zico coconut water found at my local Trader Joe's. Not my
thing and not that tasty. But if you like flavors and need a
quick fix, I guess this will do it.

Yesterday, while shopping at Trader Joe's I noticed that they started selling their own coconut water - NOT from concentrate. This piqued my interest, so I forked up the $3 for the bottle. The final verdict? Well, it's slightly better than zico and it isn't from concentrate and doesn't have other ingredients except the coconut water itself. Yes. In a pinch, it'll work. However, I'm not forking up $3 anytime soon for the stuff. And I'll tell you why...

Trader Joe's now has their own brand of coconut water.
Again, not my thing, but cleaner tasting than Zico.

In my book, nothing can replace the goodness of an actual, fresh young coconut. As mentioned before, when I lived in the Philippines, my mom drank 1-2 coconuts per day. It was easy, since local street vendors sold these (the water and the meat) cracked and peeled, ready to drink/eat in a plastic bag for less than fifty cents. My mistake was not joining her in doing this. Over the three months, my mom's feet and legs didn't swell as much. Now that we're in the US, she's back to the swelling. However, she takes virgin coconut oil in her food and rubs it on her feet, which again, helps with the swelling.

After some serious thought and research about the coconut, I decided to start buying them from the local Asian grocery store, crack it open myself, and eat them. In fact, I include coconut water/meat in my latest concoction of my daily green smoothie. Also, if I have any to spare (this depends on how much room I have in the fridge), I have a coconut after a tough WOD or run. It really is yummy and refreshing. Plus, the meat is to die for! AND for the environmentally conscious, the coconut is completely compost-able (no more bottle/can waste).

If you've had your coconut this way, you can never go to the bottled stuff. I swear! If you're wondering how to get these suckers open, check out this video. Fresh, young coconut can cost as low as 99 cents to almost $4 (depending on the store and season). Personally, I buy mine from Seafood City in Union City. I find that they're the cheapest there. Note: should the prices of the coconut suddenly shoot up and the availability go down, I'm blaming ALL OF YOU! Okay. Enjoy:D

Young coconut from the local Asian grocery store.
In my book, this is the only way to go.

Today's Small Victories
I did yoga and I ran back to back. Yay!

Warm-up
1 hour of yoga

Today's Workout
Run 5K

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Late afternoon yoga is hard. Period. It's challenging and refreshing, but it kicks my butt. I had about an hour break before doing the run with Miss Lori. We did the interval 4:1 run. It was good. Slower than usual, but it was good. Yay.

barefoot and running

As you all know, I'm running the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October and right now, I'm trying to iron out some training issues before I go into training mode later next month. Currently, I'm re-visiting the whole barefoot running debate. I'm not interested in not wearing shoes - especially after reading this. Rather, I'm interested in the running technique. Simply put, pose running or barefoot running focus on  landing on the balls of your feet as opposed to striking with the heel. Unfortunately, when reading through the info online, the discussions focus on the shoe debate. It's a little frustrating because I'm not one for extremes. Rather, I want the best of different worlds. I want to wear shoes, but I also want to run more efficiently.

For more information, check out these links:

'You're crazy'

Study: Humans Were Born To Run Barefoot

Barefoot Running: Two sides of a very hot topic.

After sifting through some sites, I finally found these two videos. The first one is a news clip from BBC that showcases the pose running method. What I like is the testing and that they're wearing shoes, but showing how efficient the technique is.


Here is the second video. I like that it focuses on the method of running, which emphasizes the foot strike. In traditional running, you strike with the heel, which apparently is not good for your feet or your body. In pose running and barefoot running, you strike with the balls of your feet, take short strides, and try to hit your butt with your heels. Also, this video shows a great transition from heel striking, to barefoot running, to using minimalist shoes like Vibrams, and then running in shoes.


With that, I've decided to do my short runs with my Nike Free shoes. I'm using short runs to focus on technique and get used to this style of running. For longer runs, I'm using my traditional motion control shoes (which are old enough and are flexible) while maintaining the new form. I'll do this for a month before deciding what shoes to invest in. (Yeah. My running shoes are about three years old, so I need new ones. The Nike Free are less than a year old, but pretty beaten up.)

In terms of shoes, I'm eyeing the New Balance Minimus Road. I tried them on recently and I need a Men's size 8 in the black/red. I loved the toe box, but the women's model was too narrow (the "padding" kept hitting the arch of my feet). Hence, I need the men's model. Admittedly, I was inspired by this video:


Also, I'm a big fan of New Balance shoes. I currently use and love these motion control shoes. While I'm willing to get another pair, I'll need to wait to see how running in minimalist shoes treats me. If I like it, I'll need to change up my longer mileage shoe.

For now, technique now, shoes later.

fierce products: armpocket

Now that I'm slowly, but surely getting back into the swing of running, I'm also trying to figure out the whole gear thing. fathlete confession: Now that I'm training, I'm realizing why three years ago, I declared no more long distance races for me. It's a bathroom issue. I'm not big on using port-o-potties and when I trained for Maui, I mastered the art of "holding it til the run ends." Seeing that I'm older and my bladder is weaker, that strategy doesn't work very well. Gah! But this post has nothing to do with sorting out bathroom issues. Moving on...

I'm trying to decide what gear works for me. Things have changed since my last two major races and the gear available is amazing! I used to run with my ipod shuffle. These days, I'm running with my iphone because 1) Nike+GPS iphone app is awesome. 2) It's safer to have your phone on you when running. Thing is, it's a bit bulky. After shopping around, I found a great product called armpocket. I really like the sport i-20 with the clear window (pictured above).

Before I begin telling you how awesome this product is, it's only right that I let you know that I actually had to return my armpocket. This has nothing to do with it being a bad product. I now know that I'm just not someone who likes to run with something strapped to my arm. I find that my hands tend to swell when I run with it. This might have something to do with the arm band needing to be snug and my arm needing some circulation. Again, it's a me issue and not a product issue. Moving on...

For those of you looking for an armband to hold your iphone (or other device during runs), I highly recommend the armpocket. First off, it's secure. There is light bounce, which is normal. But overall, it stayed in place and didn't twist around or cause any chafing (which is a testament to good design, including good placement of the velcro). Second, it comes in a variety of colors (including purple, which is now in stock... but wasn't when I bought mine... just sayin'). Third, it carries what I think are the essentials: an iphone with a case, keys, id, cash. Finally, because it has a clear plastic window, it protects your iphone (no need to worry about it being drenched in sweat). Overall, if you're someone who likes to wear their gear on the arm, this is a great product.

Today's Small Victories
I made it to SF for a hike.

Today's Workout
6 mile hike in SF

Notes (to myself) about this workout: In total, the SO and I were out for over two hours. It wasn't particularly hard, but it was a long hike/walk. Big kudos to the SO who really stuck it out. He's recovering from an injured achilles and I know this hike wasn't easy. However, we finished and he's recovering nicely. As for me, I'm okay. I'm a little sore and slightly disappointed that I'm not running more. However, I need to cut myself a break. The Nike Half isn't until October, so official training doesn't start til July. With that, I just need to ease into the running. One step at a time...

**FYI I am in no way paid or compensated for sharing my opinion about the armpocket or any of the products I feature in “fierce products.” These are just things that I personally like. However, if you are from armpocket and you want to shoot a gal some stuff to try out, I’d have absolutely no objections to that. I promise to share an honest opinion about it!

feed your mind

In the spirit of holiday giving fathlete style, I have decided to dedicate today's post to reading material you can share with you and yours. First up is Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet. I downloaded the kindle edition and have been reading through it slowly. So far, so good. Wolf is a great writer and he makes the science stuff easy to understand. fathlete confession: I ordered four copies of this to give as gifts. I'm wondering if I should have ordered more. Gah!

As you already know, I'm a huge fan of Mark Sisson and his blog Mark's Daily Apple (MDA). If you don't have a copy, I recommend picking up (and gifting) The Primal Blueprint. If you're extra generous or want to give something to your favorite wannabe chefs, then definitely pick up a copy of The Primal Blueprint Cookbook. I own both and am looking forward to putting them to good use! fathlete confession: I'm thinking that my next health challenge will have something to do with a primal/paleo cooking challenge.

These last two gift ideas come from Balanced Bites, a website run by Diane Sanfilippo. Personally, I downloaded The 21 Day Sugar Detox when we were doing the LBN Challenge. I like how user friendly it is and the lists are really helpful! Sanfilippo just released a new book, Practical Paleo Nutrition Guide Book, which I just downloaded!

Wednesday, December 8th
One hour of yoga. And then...

CrossFit One World WOD
Complete five rounds for time of:
5 hang squat cleans 63#
10 hip extensions
15 box jumps (12")

Joanne's Final Time - 13:20

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
Yoga was awesome. It was harder than usual, but I really loved it! For the WOD, I was really thankful to get some help from Angela. I'm not good at the clean, so to have her watch my form was helpful. (Yeah. I need to do a better job at "bumping" the bar.) I kept it light because my shoulders are kinda wrecked.

Thursday, December 9th
One hour of spin. And then...

CrossFit One World WOD: Blame Brad
Complete the following for time:
10 ring dips (band assisted)
20 pull-ups (band assisted)
30 kettlebell swings 25#
40 barbell push press press 33#
50 med ball cleans 10#
150 jump rope skips
50 med ball cleans
40 barbell push press
30 kettlebell swings
20 pull-ups (band assisted)
10 ring dips (band assisted)

Joanne's Final Time - 24:01

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Spin was really rough this morning. I've never done that many isolations in one class. OMG! There was a lot of buzz about the One World WOD because it was the longest of the week. fathlete confession: It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Then again, my shoulder is quite tweaky and I had to go lighter on some things. The good thing is that I maintained full range of motion in all my movements. The pull-up is still tricky for me, but I am s-l-o-w-l-y getting there. Yea.

Finally, this WOD was workout #30 for me. Yes, I finished my challenge. Thirty workouts, thirty days, hello to the big 3-5!

paleo find!

Oh Trader Joe's... as if I needed another reason to love you so. The other night I made the most amazing discovery. Trader Joe's carries Zico coconut water. For those of you who are all about your gatorade, I say ditch the stuff and go with coconut water. It's natural, paleo approved, and way better for you. Personally, I get coconut water straight from young coconut. (Yeah. I buy it at the local Asian grocery story and chop it open primal style. It makes me feel accomplished when I do it. ha ha! Besides, I love the coconut meat.) However,  if you're looking for coconut water in a pinch, then this stuff should work. In truth, I haven't tasted the stuff. However, the ingredients are: 100% natural coconut water. If this is true, I'm sure it tastes fantastic.

Today's Small Victories
I'm back on track!

Warm-up
One hour of yoga. And then... a warm-up of jump roping and squats.

CrossFit One World WOD
Complete eleven rounds for time of:
3 burpees
7 wallballs 10#

Joanne's Final Time - 10:42

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Technically, we were supposed to do ten rounds, but Eric miscounted. No big deal. I thought this scaled version was VERY do-able. In fact, I should have agreed to go the rounds until Nate finished (at 21+ minutes). It would have sucked, but it would have been a good challenge for me.

color code mode

I have no idea how in the world I forgot my most favorite fathlete tool EVER! For years I've been bragging about how much I love my streaming colors monthly calendar! I need to place my order soon. I'm so thankful that they're out early this year. FYI - These things, paired with some highlighters make an amazing gift!

Today's Small Victories
I'm back on track with my bday challenge. It's been tough because I don't do well with the cold. Gah!

Warm-up
I did one hour of yoga. And then... we did a very cold run around the building. It was topped off with "The Perfect Warm-up"

CrossFit One World WOD
Complete six rounds for time of:
6 overhead squats 63#
6 push-ups (on knees)
6 handstand push-up on box

Joanne's Final Time - 10:24

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I should have pushed the weight on the OHS. However, I didn't realize it until the WOD was over. I finished three minutes before everyone else in class. Not that it's a bad thing, but it would have been good to push the OHS. It used to be one of my favorite movements. Now, I struggle with it. Ugh!

these are a few of my favorite things...

Hello everyone! I hope you all had an amazing holiday. Though I've been working my ass off this year trying to incorporate healthy habits into my life, I do firmly believe that the holidays are a perfect time to loosen up and have a few of those naughty treats you've been craving for. Granted, I did have some of those treats. However, I had way less than I normally do. Translation: I didn't gorge on holiday eating as much as I used to. This is mainly because I can't stand the post-sugar coma. It makes me feel like crap!

As for the bday challenge, I completely slipped this week, logging in only two workouts. I'm not sad though because overall, I'm only down by two workouts. I suspected this would be a tough week to train, so I "deposited" as many workouts as I could before this week. That way, I wouldn't fall way behind. I have a plan of attack for next week and I should be on track in no time!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, people are in a mad frenzy trying to get some Christmas shopping done. In the spirit of that, I've decided to list some cool gift suggestions for the fathlete in all of you. (Also, I'm kinda hinting that I wouldn't mind getting a few of these things too. Did I mention that my bday is coming up soon? haha!) So here it is. My list of cool things to give and get for Christmas (in no particular order).

This is the new ipod shuffle. Small,
convenient and amazing!

ipod shuffle. There is nothing cooler and more convenient than an ipod shuffle for your workouts. I live, die, and swear by mine. I'm overjoyed that they went back to the old style shuffle. That way, you can use your own headphones. Speaking of which...

airdrives earphones. I think the ipod shuffle would go great with a pair of these earphones. These are fantastic because it gives you your music as well as your safety. For those of you who run outdoors, you can run and still be aware of your surroundings. In CrossFit, you can listen to your tunes and still hear the trainer's instructions. These things are amazing!! (I personally own the original airdrives, but I'm curious about the Fit airdrives. If any of you have any input, I'd love to hear from you!)

itunes gift cards. When people ask what I want for my birthday or Christmas, this is always the first thing that comes to mind. This is one of the best gifts EVER (especially since I can buy iphone apps with it too)!

I'm sure I love Nike Free way
more than Oprah does!

Nike Free. Oprah isn't the only one who loves Nike Free shoes. I adore mine! My only complaint is that they're way too expensive for what they are. Luckily, I bought mine during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale in July. If I were in my right mind, I would have bought two pairs! These are perfect for CrossFit and other gym type workouts.

lululemon gift card (or pretty much anything from lululemon). My goal is to one day own a pair of groove pants, lulu's signature "my ass looks amazing" pants. Though they're worth every penny, $98 is still a bit steep for me. Still, a girl can dream, right? I recently scored on the groove shorts (they were marked down to $19) and I LOVE them! Guys, if you wanna please your athlete gals, lulu is definitely the way to go! (I hesitate to write "fathlete" gals because lulu only goes up to about a size 12, sometimes a size 8 on certain items. BOO on you, lulu! Note: I would have added a lulu jacket to the list, but since they run small and only go up to a size 12, it's a no-go for me. The bust is way too uncomfortable. BOO!)

lucy gift card (or pretty much anything from lucy). I've written about lucy before. I find that their stuff is more affordable (especially since they have better sales and offer 20-30% discounts, depending on the promotion). Also, they're totally underrated. I was a lucy gal before I was a lulu gal, so lucy definitely has a special place in my heart. In particular, I'm all about the hatha power pant (in the short length, of course). It's pretty awesome.

I have have to remind myself
that this isn't edible! 

charity shower gels by philosophy. fathlete confession: I have a special relationship with philosophy. Regardless of that, I do think these shower gels are amazing. Besides, if you have to wash away the stinky, don't you want to shower for a good cause? The proceeds from purchasing these shower gels (and lotions) go to some fantastic charitable foundations. Note: I only linked the charity shower gels. However, philosophy has an amazing shower gel collection (that are not charity items)! Currently, I'm all about the hot buttered rum!

purity made simple cleansing cloths. fathlete confession: When I first used these, I wasn't a fan. However, I've definitely grown to love them. I keep them in my gym bag to clean my face before a workout. They're fast, convenient, and I'm in LOVE! another fathlete confession: My biggest pet peeve is watching women workout with a fully made-up face. It makes my stomach turn. Seriously.

Oh tea, how I love thee.
You put me in such a
zen state.

teavana gift card. I haven't mentioned this yet. But as of today, I'm officially trading my coffee and latte habit for tea. (Note: My personal deal is that I'll only have a latte if I have a certificate from Starbucks for a free drink!) In particular, I adore green and white tea from teavana. I have some tea at home and I've been dying to get their tea maker. If you know someone who is all about their tea, this is an amazing gift! (I know because I bought this for my sister a while back and she LOVES it!)

sports bras. Granted, this isn't exactly something you would give as a gift. However, as I've mentioned before, I do recommend getting a good bra fitting and I think Nordstrom is the best place to do it! (Maybe a gift card to Nordstrom so that your person could get a sports bra? I don't know. Use your imagination.) I think every fathlete needs a good sports bra. My recommendation is this one by Donna Karan and this one by Freya. fathlete confession: When it comes to sports bras, every person has her own favorites. I like these two because they're built for a bustier frame. A tip to save money is to get fitted at Nordstrom and maybe buy one bra from them (it's good to support the workers there; it's also good to form a relationship with a good bra fitter). From there, go online and see where you can get the same thing for less. That way, everyone wins!

For now, that's it for my gift suggestions. In truth, I haven't really hit the mall to see what's hot in all things shopping. However, I'll let you know if I find other cool things!

Today's Small Victories
I hit the gym and did better than I thought.

Warm-up
Row 800 meters

CrossFit One World WOD: Barbara
One round is the following for time:
20 pull-ups (band assisted)
30 push-ups (on knees)
40 Abmat sit-ups (feet unanchored)
50 air squats
Rest three minutes and repeat for a total of five rounds.

Joanne's Final Time - 5:38 / 6:17 / 8:27 / 7:36 / 7:28

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I was feeling really bummed about this WOD because I was beyond dead last in class today. I knew I'd be really slow because I did band assisted pull-ups. Since I have TERRIBLE upper body strength, I knew it would slow me down (I had to use two bands - the blue one and the beige with green one). However, I really wanted to start doing more band work with the pull-ups. For the most part, it wasn't pretty. But I'm okay with that. I need the practice. I got home feeling defeated because I took forever! However, I looked back at my previous Barbara times here and here. Turns out, today was really good! I logged in my fastest round time even though today was more challenging than I've done it in the past. Wa-hoo!

loving brands

This post is inspired by this article: What we talk about when we talk about loving brands. The author begins my stating, "If you want to sell me something, give me an experience, tell me a story, or be my friend." He then gives examples of why he's so into Apple and Fluevog shoes. As someone who works in sales, I'd have to say that this is the very best way to create a loyal clientele base. However, this post isn't about sales techniques. Rather, it's about my sense of brand loyalty and my new commitment to myself to spend wisely. In case you don't know this about me, I'm a total loyalist. If I like something, I'm a fan for life! This explains why I've used the same skincare brand for the last twelve years and why people at local establishments know me by name. It's because I believe in what the author says: "If you want to sell me something, give me an experience, tell me a story, or be my friend."

Here's a great example.... When I was a teenager, I saved some money to buy some real lipstick - the kind that I could try before I buy! I knew that I wanted two different colors - something pinky brown and something chocolatey brown. I finally stopped at the prescriptives counter at macy*s. The lady helped me pick out two perfect colors! Unfortunately, I underestimated my funds and could only afford one of the lipsticks. When I couldn't decide which one to pick, she said, get the chocolaty brown one, and I did. She rung me up and gave me my purchase. The bag seemed a little big, so I opened it and along with my lipstick was a box. I asked the lady about it and she explained that they were giving a gift with a $35 purchase. Embarrassed, I told her that I didn't spend that much. She said, "But the other lipstick you wanted is in that gift. You should have it." This meant the world to me! That incident made me a prescriptives user for YEARS (all through my college years)! In fact, when I applied for a job in cosmetics, prescriptives was one of the lines I listed as a preferred company to work for. Though prescriptives is no longer available at stores, I still have very fond memories of the brand and the wonderful people who work for them. It's like the author declared: "If you want to sell me something, give me an experience, tell me a story, or be my friend."

Today's Small Victories
I dreaded today's WOD. I've never done 400 meters of lunges because I think it's inhumane. It would have been easy to sit this one out. However, I did it. And I did my best to keep the bitching and moaning to a minimum. That totally deserves an award!

Warm-up
Jumprope while the rest of the class ran 400 meters. (Not that I object to running. However, I just bought a new jump rope and wanted to test it out!

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
20 reps of back squat at 90#
Bench Presss 3/3/3/3/3
55/65/70/75/80

Conditioning:
Complete the following for time:
400m walking lunge step
Post time and number of steps. If you have a set of knee pads, you will definitely want to wear them.

Joanne's Final Time - 24:04

Notes (to myself) about this workout: For the back squat, I did fine. I may have mentioned this earlier, but when we did this squat challenge a while back, not many people finished it. In fact, a lot of people were injured before the challenge ended. I know this challenge is nothing new and people have been doing this for quite a while. However, I think 10# per week is a bit much. I'm going to do 10# per week for as long as I can, while really listening to my body. If 10# a week becomes too taxing, then I'm scaling back to 5# a week. I refuse to have hip problems like I did the last time.

For the bench press, we ran out of time, so I couldn't really hit a true 3-rep max. Judging from tonight's performance, I think I may be in the 85#-90# range for that. If this is so, then I'm sure that when we do a max bench press, I can PR. Yea.

Finally, the lunge WOD sucked. Anything repetitive like that is just useless to me. I don't mind doing lunges like that, but it needs to be broken up with something else. Bleh. But I did it. So you can shut it!

go girl!

I don't know about you, but I admit that there have been moments in my life where I wish I could pee like a guy. Seriously. Sometimes I don't think guys know how lucky they have it. In particular, when I lived overseas a few years ago, I totally wished I could pee like a guy. I'll spare you the details about the bathrooms in the Philippines. Just know that living overseas let me know that I have some serious bathroom issues...

Well lo and behold, guess what some person invented?! The GoGirl! Simply put, it's a silicone device that allows women to pee standing up. Yeah. You heard that right. Say good-bye to the squat and say hello to the stand! In case any of you, for bathroom reasons, ever hesitated to go camping or use the public men's bathroom, or travel in the desert, fret no more. You can unleash your bodily fluids like the big boys!

Um, I'm not sure how I feel about this device yet. However, I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't intrigued.

Today's Small Victories
I'm still holding strong with the challenge. Woot!

Warm-up
Row 500 meters
Run 600 meters

CrossFit One World WOD
Perform 120 kettlebell swings for time. At the start of every minute, run 100m before continuing with the swings.

Joanne's Final Time - 13:40

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I did this WOD with a 25# kettlebell and then went down to 20# just because I didn't have the patience to go heavier. For the record, any WOD where you're doing over 100 reps of one move is simply lame.

confessions of a vog-aholic!

I'm writing this is because I have a confession to make. I have a liking for Fluevog shoes. Actually, I am OBSESSED with Fluevog shoes! I blame my friend Shirl for this obsession because she introduced me to the brand. I confess that I own five pairs and am currently paying off my sixth pair, with plans on getting a seventh (this is what happens when you offer a layaway plan). These shoes aren't cheap. I bought my first two during their anniversary sale. I paid for the shoes in full with part of my tax return. Pair number three (a.k.a. "the wedding shoes," pictured here) was put on a credit card because I had a dream about them. In a state of paranoia, I went to the Fluevog store and bought them, declaring that these are the shoes I'm going to get my Ph.D. in. I'm also going to wear them when I get married, have babies, and all that other good stuff. I look at "the wedding shoes" as a source of inspiration when I write my dissertation. Fluevog numbers four and five were bought with my hard-earned cosmetics money during their recent semi-annual clearance. To my credit, they are paid in full and were bought at a fantastic discount! Only those who have owned a pair of Vogs will understand this obsession. Fluevogs are like art pieces that make my toes smile. The more I wear them, the more my feet fall in love with them. Each pair I own reflects a different angle of my being. Hence, why the Fluevog mantra is so true: Unique soles for unique souls. I've never worn my Vogs without turning a few heads. In fact, I recently wore "the wedding shoes" at my friend's wedding. The photographer took pictures of my shoes! One of the girls there couldn't get her eyes off them, and two other girls stopped at my table to tell me how cool my shoes are! Vogs make my drab wardrobe look look like a million bucks. Such things are worth its weight in gold, I tell you!

I'm confessing my Fluevog sins because becoming a "Vogger" has completely changed the way I spend my money. It has inspired my current need to clean house and send stuff to the donation bin. As I was clearing out my closet, I was taking a monetary tally in my head of how much I spent on all the shoes and clothes I was donating. I took note of all the stuff I hardly used, all the stuff I bought because it was cheap, and I realized that though these items weren't pricey, they also were NOT good investments. Granted, I'm still a proponent of a good bargain (who isn't?). However, I realize that an item being inexpensive cannot be enough for me to buy it anymore. It's all about QUALITY over quantity. The money I spent on my Fluevogs is going to go so much farther than all the clearance shoes I've ever bought but hardly or never used. (In particular, I think of my totally cute red Miz Mooz shoes that I bought in New York a few years ago. At $40 I thought they were a total steal. However, the first time I wore them, they made my feet cry! I must have used those shoes no more than ten times in the four years I've had them. I can't begin to tell you how many shoes I have with a similar story.) Yes, my love for something new has liberated me from old baggage.

Oddly enough, my "Vog-session" has also led me to some other great realizations. Don't laugh... but I hardly look at the mirror before leaving the house. One day at work, I was looking at my all-black outfit and I nearly died. My outfit was completely unflattering and I couldn't believe my cosmetics employer had allowed me to keep my job knowing I wear the same hideous clothes every week! When I got home, I got rid of the unflattering gaucho pants (that made me look like I had camel toe) and got myself some bona fide adult slacks from Banana Republic. I firmly believe that quality doesn't have to be expensive. I managed to find a great pair of black, high quality, nice fitting slacks on clearance for about $16. The second pair of slacks I bought was 60% off (and they make my butt look like perfection)! I testify that when you're a Vogger, all good things must come your way. My new outlook on shopping has also inspired the bargain gods to send me good luck.

Since then, I haven't made many purchases because I simply don't need them. If I do indulge in a purchase, I'm going to take a cue from Oprah and make a deal with myself: if I buy something, I have to get rid of something. I'm also learning to spend like my dad. My dad was very thrifty, but he made his purchases last. That's exactly what I'm going to do. I have my "Vog-session" to thank for all of this!

Note: The photos came from the Fluevog site.

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!

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.

get raw milk!

Tonight I went to Austin's box because they were hosting a lecture on raw milk. As I've said before, I think Austin runs a great box and I was glad to make my first visit tonight. Mark McAfee, who owns Organic Pastures reminds me a lot of the cool farmer guy on Food Inc. The lecture was informative and afterward, we were able to taste the regular and the chocolate milk. Raw milk is available at shmancy grocery stores such as Whole Foods. However, if you go to the Organic Pastures site, they list some farmers' markets where their products are available. When you buy directly from them, it's about 30-40% cheaper (according to McAfee). Plus, you'll see the whole line of products. I plan on visiting their stand at Cupertino or Campbell one of these days because I want to try their butter and cheese too!

Some cool things to note:
1) Raw milk is great for the lactose intolerant because it's easier to digest (unless you're EXTREMELY sensitive, but this is rare).
2) Raw milk helps to build your immune system because it is live food and has a lot of much-needed bacteria. (Yes. bacteria is good for you!)
3) The shelf life of raw milk is about 10-12 days from when it came from the cow. The OP site explains what you can do in case your milk is spoiling. Yes. you can salvage your spoiled milk!
4) The cheese, as long as it's refrigerated has a really long shelf life and gets better as it ages. Mark said you can have it up to a year. Wow!
5) The butter doesn't have to be refrigerated (but I'm going to anyway cuz I'm paranoid like that).

I'd go into detail about all the other cool stuff I learned, but I'd do a poor job at explaining stuff. Instead, check out these links:
Organic Pastures FAQ
Campaign for Real Milk
Westin A. Price Foundation

Today's Small Victories
1) I'm transitioning to Alex's meal plan. Man, there is no give on those carbs!
2) I committed to coming in early to make it to the milk seminar. Education my friends!

Warm-up
Prep for WOD

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Bench Press 3/3/3/3/3
63/73/78/83/88 (PR!)

Conditioning:
"Nancy"- Complete five rounds for time of 400m run*/15 overhead squats 63#
Joanne's Final Time - 24:42

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Since it was raining and I like to lift barefoot, I decided to row instead of run. For the first 2 rounds, I rowed 500 meters. For the last three rounds I rowed 400 meters. Um, there's a reason why Nancy is a run and not a row. Rowing is a total body workout and you need the run to rest up your upper body for the OH squat. Rowing made the WOD sooooo much harder! In the past, I've mostly done this WOD without recording the time. The last time I did it, it took me about 26 minutes to finish and I used a lighter weight. With that, I'm happy with today's performance. The OH squat is not my favorite, but I can feel myself getting stronger. Ultimately, I'd like to do it without dropping the bar. Today I did mostly a 10-5 split which was good.

tools of the trade: food journals

It's official. I have failed miserably. Up until Christmas eve, I was doing great with sticking to my "primal as possible" eating plan. I even cooked a gangload of veggies to bring to the family parties. However, if you put me near some homemade lumpia, I'm a goner. Then there was the red velvet cake, lo mai fan, pancit, and shrimp patties. Bleh. Thank heaven the challenge doesn't officially start until after January. There's time to beg for forgiveness.

With respect to the Look Better Naked Challenge, a crucial tool for weight loss is keeping a food journal. I can attest to this because during the very brief time I did keep a food journal consistently, it made me think twice about my food choices. There's even research about the importance of keeping a food journal. Check it out here.

I've ranted and raved about Color Code Mode products here, here, and here. Big apologies because I usually encourage people to give them out as gifts. With the holidays over, it kind of defeats the purpose of talking about their products. But here it goes anyway.... Besides, you can always give out or buy yourself a New Year's gift or an on-time, late, or early birthday gift. You can also give an "I care about you" gift!

It's no secret that my favorite of the bunch is the monthly calendar. I've been using them since 2006 when I bought it on clearance at Lucy. It was the best clearance item I had ever invested in. Since then I've been a devoted fan of the monthly calendar. I find that it's easy to use and the visual progress is just amazing! They have a weekly planner as well. I'm not a big fan of it, but I can see how other people would totally dig it.

The other item I'm totally in love with but wished I put it to better use is the Lean Mode Color Code — Not Your Usual Food Diary. I bought it last year and I kept up with it for about two months and it was great. Thing is, I made it more complicated than it needed to be by using way too many colors and codes. Also, I didn't like how bulky it was and wished that it was spiral bound like the calendar.

Well lo and behold.... there is a spiral bound version available exclusively on the Color Code Mode website. DAMN! I wish I noticed that detail because I would have added it to my monthly calendar order. Note: You can get this food journal at a better price on amazon. Please know that this is NOT SPIRAL BOUND! Trust me. You want the spiral bound!

For the Look Better Naked Challenge, I'm going to use this as my food journal. Unlike last year, I'm keeping it simple. Below is a sample page from their site. I like this journal because they have daily pages and then they're broken up with a weekly goal page. You can use it to track your food and exercise and other things you wish. It can be as simple or detailed as you like. Because you color in your progress, it's also fun! Check out the Color Code Mode site for more info.

Money saving tips: If you plan on purchasing from Color Code Mode, I recommend that you buy them in pairs because it's cheaper that way. Also, if you sign up for their email list, it will knock off $2 from your order. Please let them know that I sent you! (No, I do not get any perks. But in my annual order Jennifer Luhrs, who owns the company with her daughter Alexis always sends a nice note. I like supporting good businesses like this!) Finally, these products are WORTH EVERY PENNY!

rest in peace

Apologies for being out of commission. I've been crazy busy and a little lazy. For now, I'm blaming the weather. With that, this is going to be a big post. First off, I need to bid farewell to my ipod shuffle. (I have a silver one. I'd like to have a purple one, but they don't make them anymore.) It's been fritzing out on me lately and I think it's nearing it's final leg. I have no complaints. It was a Christmas gift from an ex and I've had it for almost three years. My shuffle has taken me through many sweaty hours of working out and it's finally throwing in the towel. Farewell, my dear shuffle. (tears)

Problem is, I need a new shuffle because I can't function at the gym without one. In truth I can't stand the new shuffle! You have to use the headphones that come with the package. If you're like me and you want to use your own headphones (I swear by the air drives), you have to buy an adapter for another $30. It's just not economical - especially since the adaptor doesn't seem to work very well anyway. Right now, I hate apple for their stupidity on this one. When this new shuffle first came out, I thought for sure they'd fix the kinks with this new launch. Did they?! Nope. Bastards! Moving on...

Here are some interesting articles I thought you'd like to take a peek at. First off, in case you were looking for an excuse to cut your soda intake, check out this article. It explains that sodas give the body excess sugar it doesn't need and ends up storing it as fat. It also talks about why diet soda is a no-no because there is a greater chance of one having more belly fat. Finally, the carbonation depletes calcium. I'm not big on soda. I'll have one on occasion, but that's it. In middle school we did this science experiment where you take a chicken bone and put it in a cup of soda. After a day the bone completely breaks down, leaving only the cartilage. Ew! It's a great visual of why one should not have soda.

Recently, I confessed my love for Mark's Daily Apple and mentioned an article he wrote about food and depression. Here's another article that talks about the relationship between processed food and depression. I'm amazed at how much food makes a difference. Again, if you're looking for an excuse to eat clean or are looking for alternatives to depression meds, here you go!

The last article I'm sharing is near and dear to my heart. It's about slow runners. Yeah. That's me. Woot!

Finally, I wanted to share a few youtube videos I saw posted on facebook. They're tongue-in-cheek commentaries about CrossFit. I think they're hilarious. Rumor has it that some CrossFit higher ups didn't appreciate them. I say have a sense of humor. If you're spoof-able, you must be doing something right. In fact, the first video spoofs our very own Freddy C. Enjoy!




Warm-up
Run 400 meters
stretching
prep for WOD

CrossFit One World WOD: The Filthy Fifty
Complete the following for time:
50 box jumps 12"
50 jumping pull-ups
50 kettlebell swings 25#
50 walking lunge steps
50 knees to elbows
50 push press 33#
50 GHD hip extensions
50 wall balls 10# because Jason wanted it to touch the grey box
50 burpees
100 rope rotations

Joanne's Final Time - 46:27

Notes (to myself) about this workout: First off, I should note that I did a light workout yesterday with Miss Lara. I didn't give it its own post because the WOD was light. We ran 1.1 miles, and then walked 2.2 miles because we needed to catch up with each other. It's always nice to spend time with Miss Lara.

As for today's WOD, I didn't beat my last time. It's okay. I'm just glad I got through the WOD. The Filthy Fifty always sucks!

sugar daddy needed

*Note: Photos stolen from here.

Let's get something straight. It's not that I really need a sugar daddy. It's that I'm poor as f--k and it would be nice to indulge in things that I believe are necessities... such as a pair of custom made Risto weightlifting shoes (size 9/9.5 U.S. women's please). Oh how I long to own a pair that are deep purple and black with "j-ro" embroidered on the back of the heel. My imagination runs wild at the thought of inhaling that new leather smell on my new shoes (just like the little girl in the photo). I toss and turn at night over visions of me addressing the bar for the uber deadlift I'm about to do in my brand new kicks.... I'm not asking for Manolo Blahniks or fancy jewelry from Tiffany & Co. Just a nice pair of weightlifting shoes that were tailor-made just for me. Is that too much for a gal to ask for? (Well, I'd like the shoes and a weekly deep tissue massage and a few other things...)

I could earn more money. But with the budget crisis these days, I'm just happy to have a job. (For the record, it's embarrassing what the UC system calls a "salary" to its teaching assistants. It feels like it's barely above minimum wage!) Technically, my call for a sugar daddy has nothing to do with frivolous desires. Rather, I need a sugar daddy for my CrossFit needs. Aside from the weightlifting shoes, I sometimes need new workout pants. Some skins would be nice too. Anyone know where I can find this kind man? (Note: The catch is I'm not willing to do anything obscene for my CrossFit needs. I'm just leaning on the hope that this sugar daddy will fulfill my heart's desires out of the sheer kindness. ha ha!)

FYI: I'm flexible. I'm totally open to a sugar mama too. ha ha!

For now, I just have to focus on the dissertation and hope that someone hires me to teach at their university!

Warm-up
Row until Ron and Rebecca come back from their 800 meter run
Prep for the WOD

CrossFit One World WOD
21/15/9
Deadlifts (153# for 21 reps; 143# for the rest of the WOD)
Kettlebell Swings 35#

Joanne's Final Time - 12:57

Notes (to myself) about this workout: First off, I'd like to announce that I'm a total idiot. For yesterday's WOD, the rep scheme was 15/12/9 and I stupidly did 21/15/9, Don't ask me where I got that from. Bleh. fathlete confession: Even I have my idiot days!

I missed this WOD last week and really wanted to do it. On a rest day, I like to focus on skills, so the deadlift and kettlebell WOD seemed to be a good one. I was hoping to push some weight, but I didn't. I wanted to do 163# on the deadlift, but as you can see, I had to drop my usual 153# weight. In retrospect, I really should have stuck it out to the end and just slowed down. I also wanted to try the 44# kettlebell, but it looked like there was only one, and that had Ron's name on it. There was no way I was going to do 53#.

Other than that, I felt really good about tonight's WOD.

...but if i had those Risto weightlifting shoes I'm sure I would have kicked ass for sure!

AirDrives Fit

For those of you who remember, I ranted and raved about the AirDrives headphones here. I'm still head over heels about my headphones and highly recommend them. (Note: They have a one year warranty, which is great. According to my sister, hers and my nephew's went ca-put. I'm not sure what that's about because I put mine through some serious abuse and they're fine. I think if you're still under warranty, the company will replace or repair them. Something like that. Please contact them directly for further details.)

Seriously. CrossFitters and all other athletes (fathletes and otherwise), you need to get a pair of these! They rock!

Anyway... while surfing through the AirDrives site, I discovered that they just released a new model of the headphones I love so much. The new ones are called the AirDrives Fit. They're less expensive than their original product and it looks like it loops around the entire ear by simply securing the chord. For more info about their products, check it out here. I haven't seen or used the new ones, but if they're anything like the old ones, I'm sure you'll like them. If any of you have used the new model, could you please hit me up and let me know what you think? Thanks!

Warm-up
"A brief synopsis as to why Corazon Aquino is historically significant: a lecture while running 1.1 miles"

fathlete confession: I nearly died of heart failure when Jerry L. told me that he had never heard of Corazon Aquino. He thought GMA was the first female Philippine president (inserting evil thoughts about GMA here). FOR SHAME!

(another) fathlete confession: The previous confession was almost as shameful as spotting a gathering of Jerry L., Christian, and Christopher with no pork in sight. A group of Filipinos and no lechon?! FOR SHAME!! Note: The lack of pork has been forgiven since Jerry L. decided to assume the "this is how Filipinos squat" position. Nice prep for tomorrow's time trials, bro!

CrossFit One World WOD
Row 2k

Joanne's Final Time - 10:40 something? I forget. all I remember was that I was slow.

Notes (to myself) about this workout: It's a rest day, so I decided to take it light. The long rows are great practice. I now know that I'm weak and if I want to do a good row, I should pull harder. (Is it me? Or does that just sound so naughty!)

**FYI I am in no way paid or compensated for sharing my opinion about the AirDrives or any of the products I feature in “fierce products.” These are just things that I personally like. However, if you are from AirDrives and you want to shoot a gal some stuff to try out, I’d have absolutely no objections to that. I promise to share an honest opinion about it!

Happy Bday Bradass!

I just wanted to wish a very happy birthday to our very own Bradass. It doesn't take a genius to know how awesome he is. I swear, when I'm in the 50+ club, I'd be lucky to be half as fit as Brad. I hope you had an amazing day (even though you got suck teaching all night).

I befriended CrossFit Unlimited on Facebook and they posted this article on the cost of poor nutrition. Now this is something that I can agree with and relate to. I like the article because it focuses less on the organic/free-range debate and basically states that eating out costs money in the long run. If you just take a little time to prep your meals, you're health and wallet are better off. (Also, eating well will lead to less money spent on prescription meds. Wa-hoo!)

As a grad student on a budget, I'm all about eating in. It helps me refine my cooking skills and gives me a better understanding of what I can actually eat, what I can pack, and what I enjoy. It also makes it easier to entice friends to come over and eat because each week I create a meal plan. Part of the plan is to always share food. In addition, I have an old blue lunch bag that I use to pack food and I find that ice packs are handy when I have cold things like salad and fruit to store. I'm a big fan of ziploc containers. Recently, I discovered these bad boys. Feel free to give any of these things a try and let me know how you like them. Also, enjoy the article!

Warm-up
30 GHD sit-ups (slow)

30 GHD back extensions (slow)

hanging on the pull-up bars

Run 400 meters
Prep for WOD

CrossFit One World WOD
Complete as many rounds as you can in fifteen minutes of:
10 Thrusters 53#
10 Barbell walking lunge steps 53#

Joanne's Final Tally - 6 rounds + 10 thrusters

(To put these numbers in perspective, I did 70 thrusters and 60 walking lunge steps total, using a 53# weight. That's a lot for my gluteus maximus to take.)

Notes (to myself) about this workout: This WOD was every bit of EVIL as I thought it would be. Again, karma will be paying a lovely visit to Chong soon. Believe me, Chong. She's a bitch!

When I saw this WOD posted, I aimed for four rounds, five rounds being a gift. I also knew that I had to scale down the weight. Not a lot of women did the rx'd 65#. I thought 53# was perfect for me. To end with six rounds and ten thrusters was pure joy.

All I can really say about this WOD is it's one of those that creeps up on you. Round one was fine. Round two was tougher. Round three had me dividing the thrusters in a 6/4 format. I did that for the duration of the WOD. The biggest challenge was the lunge steps because we've just never done a weighted lunge step like that before. Right now I'm feeling the WOD in my shoulders. Damn thrusters.

I hope to hell that you can bounce a quarter off my ass after tonight's WOD!