Lately it seems that any serious flat / Dressage work with Ruby ends up being a real CTJ (Come To Jesus) session. She resists and evades, I insist, she resists and evades, I insist harder and eventually she gives in, softens and gives me what I want. But we seem to have to go through this struggle first, it's just part of the ride. I am asking a lot more of her these days and she is hoping that she can blow me off and just do what she wants. But I have her number now, so I'm not falling for it. Plus, CrossFit is making me stronger so I'm increasingly more physically capable of pushing for what I want as well.
Last night in a private lesson, after pushing for and getting the trot I wanted, we worked some on counter-canter. First some regular canter circles, then canter broken lines and finally some canter serpentines without lead changes, in other words, maintaining the counter-canter on each alternate loop. This is hard for Ruby right now, so we didn't do a lot of it, just a bit to start to introduce the exercise for this Summer. We can build on it and increase the duration as she gets stronger. And a strength-building exercise it is. It really does help promote strength in the canter as the way it requires the horse to carry themselves. So, I am increasingly looking for more strength, more balance, proper tempo, straightness. Hopefully this will allow the start of some baby collection at the canter too. All in time.
After our lesson, because the days are so long right now, I took Ruby on a gallop through the Hollis Town Forest trails and out to Silver Lake and back. It was probably a good seven minutes of uninterrupted gallop, plus some canter on the entry trail, walk and trot through the road and neighborhood to get to the trail and trot down the step hill on the way in. We should be doing more of these types of rides, if I want to take her hunting again at the end of the Summer. It was a good time and she was perfect. Haven't done a ride like that in a while.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Swampy Humidity: CrossFit 06/17/2014
Our gorgeous New Hampshire June weather started to turn humid last night. By this afternoon it was about 90° and oppressive. It was so uncomfortable by this evening that this was one of the CrossFit sessions that I went to with dragging feet. Surprisingly, it actually ended up being a workout that I really enjoyed. Shocking!
Posted workout for Tuesday, June 17th:
Warm-Up
4 Rounds:
:15 Jump Rope
:15 Burpees
:15 Air Squats
:15 Divebombers (no idea what this is)
What I did: Coach Jen suggested the class run 600 meters instead to get out of the hot gym. I decided to row instead to save my ankles since I really haven't done my usual slow build-up to running back-to-back days and we ran last night. Rowed 800 meters.
2 Rounds of Barbell Warm-Up, led by coach:
5 Deadlifts
5 Hang Power Cleans
5 Front Squats
5 Squat Cleans
What I did: Same.
Stretching:
Hip Mobility Complex
High Hamstring (on box)
Super Front Rack
Tricep/Lat Smash (barbell on rack)
Additional Mashing as needed
What I did: Same.
Performance / WOD:
A. Squat/Power Clean - 10:00 to build to a heavy single for the day. Translation: Your choice of Squat Cleans or Power Cleans. 10 minutes to build up to your heavy single for the day. Note: Not expected to be your 1 rep maximum.
What I did: Power Cleans, started at 35lbs, ended at 55lbs for the single heavy. (I didn't keep track of how many overall reps I did, but I did reps at 35, 45 and then the 1 at 55lbs.)
B. EMOM x5 x2 TnG Power/Squat Cleans at 80% of A. Translation: Every Minute on the Minute for 5 rounds, do two reps of Touch-and-Go (touch the bar to the ground between each of the 2 reps) Power or Squat Clean (whatever you worked on during "A") at 80% of the weight you did for your single heavy.
What I did: Okay, first of all, having to do math while trying to workout kind of makes me panic! I did the EMOM x5 x2 TnG Power Cleans at 45lbs.
C. AMRAP 12:00: Translation: As Many Reps As Possible in 12 minutes.
10/10/10, 20/20/20, 30/30/30, etc. (climbing by 10s each interval round):
Kettlebell Swings
Push-Ups
Double Unders
(If you don't have Double Unders, do triple the amount of singles)
What I did: In the 12 minutes, I got through the 10, 20, 30 and 33 reps of Kettlebells (18lbs); 10, 20, 30 Push-Ups (off of a 20" box); 10, 20, 30 of the jump rope (singles not Double Unders). Note: I did not triple my singles (and Coach Jen agreed) as I would never have been able to move on from the first set of reps.
Let me tell you about that jump rope. When I had to do it for my first group CrossFit class, I could barely do one or two at a time. Tonight I was stringing together 15-20 at once before screwing up! I really am amazed at how much better I've gotten at it. I am still a long way away from being able to do Double Unders, but I am encouraged that I've improved at this one thing as much as I have. In this case, it's more a case of getting the technique down a bit and not panicking, rather than any kind of endurance improvement, but I at least feel a little better about the jump rope now. I also have to wonder, what has happened to me that I am thinking of getting a jump rope to practice with at home. WHAAAAT???
D. Cash Out: 2 Minutes of Max Sit-Ups
What I did: 35 Sit-Ups in 2 minutes. Starting off I thought, 'this is going to be easy.' By the 18th Sit-Up I was singing a different tune.
Additional Notes:
Posted workout for Tuesday, June 17th:
Warm-Up
4 Rounds:
:15 Jump Rope
:15 Burpees
:15 Air Squats
:15 Divebombers (no idea what this is)
What I did: Coach Jen suggested the class run 600 meters instead to get out of the hot gym. I decided to row instead to save my ankles since I really haven't done my usual slow build-up to running back-to-back days and we ran last night. Rowed 800 meters.
2 Rounds of Barbell Warm-Up, led by coach:
5 Deadlifts
5 Hang Power Cleans
5 Front Squats
5 Squat Cleans
What I did: Same.
Stretching:
Hip Mobility Complex
High Hamstring (on box)
Super Front Rack
Tricep/Lat Smash (barbell on rack)
Additional Mashing as needed
What I did: Same.
Performance / WOD:
A. Squat/Power Clean - 10:00 to build to a heavy single for the day. Translation: Your choice of Squat Cleans or Power Cleans. 10 minutes to build up to your heavy single for the day. Note: Not expected to be your 1 rep maximum.
What I did: Power Cleans, started at 35lbs, ended at 55lbs for the single heavy. (I didn't keep track of how many overall reps I did, but I did reps at 35, 45 and then the 1 at 55lbs.)
B. EMOM x5 x2 TnG Power/Squat Cleans at 80% of A. Translation: Every Minute on the Minute for 5 rounds, do two reps of Touch-and-Go (touch the bar to the ground between each of the 2 reps) Power or Squat Clean (whatever you worked on during "A") at 80% of the weight you did for your single heavy.
What I did: Okay, first of all, having to do math while trying to workout kind of makes me panic! I did the EMOM x5 x2 TnG Power Cleans at 45lbs.
C. AMRAP 12:00: Translation: As Many Reps As Possible in 12 minutes.
10/10/10, 20/20/20, 30/30/30, etc. (climbing by 10s each interval round):
Kettlebell Swings
Push-Ups
Double Unders
(If you don't have Double Unders, do triple the amount of singles)
What I did: In the 12 minutes, I got through the 10, 20, 30 and 33 reps of Kettlebells (18lbs); 10, 20, 30 Push-Ups (off of a 20" box); 10, 20, 30 of the jump rope (singles not Double Unders). Note: I did not triple my singles (and Coach Jen agreed) as I would never have been able to move on from the first set of reps.
Let me tell you about that jump rope. When I had to do it for my first group CrossFit class, I could barely do one or two at a time. Tonight I was stringing together 15-20 at once before screwing up! I really am amazed at how much better I've gotten at it. I am still a long way away from being able to do Double Unders, but I am encouraged that I've improved at this one thing as much as I have. In this case, it's more a case of getting the technique down a bit and not panicking, rather than any kind of endurance improvement, but I at least feel a little better about the jump rope now. I also have to wonder, what has happened to me that I am thinking of getting a jump rope to practice with at home. WHAAAAT???
D. Cash Out: 2 Minutes of Max Sit-Ups
What I did: 35 Sit-Ups in 2 minutes. Starting off I thought, 'this is going to be easy.' By the 18th Sit-Up I was singing a different tune.
Additional Notes:
- Somewhere during the WOD, I forgot to be miserable in the heat & humidity. Hmmmm.
- The Kettlebells seemed okay while I was doing them but, I think this is going to be one of those things that sneaks up on me and makes me very sore later.
- Coach Jen said that my Power Cleans are starting to look good, so I guess I'm getting the hang of some of the technique. I don't feel comfortable doing a Squat Clean with weight yet, I can't really even do it fully with just the 15lb bar.
- I'm really proud of that stupid jump rope.
At some point during our session there was a woman standing in the corner near the rowing machines watching our workout. When I was getting ready to leave and I saw Coach Jen talking to her, I realized that she was there for her 1:1 ramp-up session (and from what Jen was saying, I think it was her first session). Wow, that was me about 5 weeks ago or so. I remember how scared and overwhelmed I felt.
Coach Jen:
Monday, June 16, 2014
Running and Thrusters, Oh My! : CrossFit 06/16/2014
It's never a good sign when I pull up to CrossFit Earned and see people running up and down the road. Uh, oh, must mean that running is going to be part of the WOD -- greeeeeat.
Posted workout for Monday, June 16th:
Warm-Up:
Run or row 400 meters
What I did: Row (I'm not stupid, I knew there would be running later).
2 rounds of:
20 Sit-Ups
15 Pushups
10 Jump Squats
What I did: Same, except pushups off of a box.
Stretching:
Banded Hip
Couch Stretch
Overhead Band
T-Spine/Quad/Hamstring Smash
What I did: Same, except for the smash thing.
Performance / WOD:
A. HBBS 5x5 @80% (Translation: High Bar Back Squat 5 reps, 5 times at 80% of your max 1 rep weight).
What I did: I don't really have a 1 rep max yet, so I'm winging it a bit. I'm also still trying to get the form of most of these reps right still. The last time I did this lift I did reps of 35lbs. Tonight I did 55lbs. Most of the women were lifting 100lbs MORE than this. Wow.
B. 3 RFT (3 Rounds for Time)
400 meter Run
15 Thrusters (95lb men / 65lb women)
15 Pull-Ups
What I did: Well, I was able to run the first 400m repeat without walking. Did I mention that the first 200m of it was ALL uphill? Yeah, that was special. I did the Thrusters, but with just the 15lb bar, no additional weight (still it's an improvement. When I did Thrusters in my ramp-up, I had to do the squatting bit into a sit on a bench. Humiliating.) Instead of Pull-Ups I did Ring Rows. Again. One of these days I'll get around to trying a banded pull-up again. Hopefully I'll be able to do those someday. I'm not even going to think about regular pull-ups right now. On the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the 400m run, I had to walk up the hill, but I still did a fair amount of running. Slow, but running.
My time for the WOD was 16:09. For once I wasn't DFL. However, it's not really a fair comparison as I was able to do the ring rows faster than most of the people doing pull-ups. And the 15lb Thrusters was of course easier too.
C. Cash Out: TGU x 20 Reps (10 per side) - Translation TGU = Turkish Get-Up.
What I did: Well, I couldn't do it. I did 3 not quite right TGUs on one side.
I have to ask myself: "How's that running program working out for you so far?" Eh, not very well, obviously. Especially as I haven't started it yet. Definitely got to get moving on that.
Another workout in the bank.
Posted workout for Monday, June 16th:
Warm-Up:
Run or row 400 meters
What I did: Row (I'm not stupid, I knew there would be running later).
2 rounds of:
20 Sit-Ups
15 Pushups
10 Jump Squats
What I did: Same, except pushups off of a box.
Stretching:
Banded Hip
Couch Stretch
Overhead Band
T-Spine/Quad/Hamstring Smash
What I did: Same, except for the smash thing.
Performance / WOD:
A. HBBS 5x5 @80% (Translation: High Bar Back Squat 5 reps, 5 times at 80% of your max 1 rep weight).
What I did: I don't really have a 1 rep max yet, so I'm winging it a bit. I'm also still trying to get the form of most of these reps right still. The last time I did this lift I did reps of 35lbs. Tonight I did 55lbs. Most of the women were lifting 100lbs MORE than this. Wow.
B. 3 RFT (3 Rounds for Time)
400 meter Run
15 Thrusters (95lb men / 65lb women)
15 Pull-Ups
What I did: Well, I was able to run the first 400m repeat without walking. Did I mention that the first 200m of it was ALL uphill? Yeah, that was special. I did the Thrusters, but with just the 15lb bar, no additional weight (still it's an improvement. When I did Thrusters in my ramp-up, I had to do the squatting bit into a sit on a bench. Humiliating.) Instead of Pull-Ups I did Ring Rows. Again. One of these days I'll get around to trying a banded pull-up again. Hopefully I'll be able to do those someday. I'm not even going to think about regular pull-ups right now. On the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the 400m run, I had to walk up the hill, but I still did a fair amount of running. Slow, but running.
My time for the WOD was 16:09. For once I wasn't DFL. However, it's not really a fair comparison as I was able to do the ring rows faster than most of the people doing pull-ups. And the 15lb Thrusters was of course easier too.
C. Cash Out: TGU x 20 Reps (10 per side) - Translation TGU = Turkish Get-Up.
What I did: Well, I couldn't do it. I did 3 not quite right TGUs on one side.
I have to ask myself: "How's that running program working out for you so far?" Eh, not very well, obviously. Especially as I haven't started it yet. Definitely got to get moving on that.
Another workout in the bank.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
Burpees Galore: CrossFit 06/13/2014
I came down with a miserable Summer cold on Sunday that really put me down for the count until about Thursday. I managed to ride on Wednesday, but through a stabbing sinus headache and a cough. Monday and Tuesday I was pretty much in a coma. So, I missed my Monday and Tuesday CrossFit sessions.
The cold is on its way out, but I'm not quite 100% yet. There was no way that I was going to miss a third CrossFit class though! This is all still so new to me that I don't feel quite established yet. I knew that if I missed a whole week of CF, that it would be that much easier to quit altogether. Certainly it would be that much harder to start again. So, I pushed myself out the door and to the 6:30 PM class.
It's still hard to walk in there. I still feel a little stupid and awkward, but each time it gets just a little bit easier. And I'm starting to know the people a little better, so that helps a lot. Most of the people there continue to be so friendly and genuine, you just can't help but like everyone, they are all always laughing and are just so laid back. Well, they're laid back and then they're not. If you are watching during the WOD, things can get pretty intense!
Anyway, here is the workout for Friday, June 13th:
Warm-Up:
4 minutes of Line Drills (run back & forth across the room repeating):
Butt Kicks
High Skips
Karaoke High-Step
Shuffle
What I did: Same, except the high skips aggravated a tweaky ankle, so I just did another line of Butt Kicks instead for that interval.
Stretching:
Hip Mobility Complex
Figure 4
Dislocates
Mash your Bits (not sure what this is)
What I did: Same except for Mash your Bits. Not sure if anyone did that.
Strength Warm-Up:
Snatch Warm-Up, led by coach:
3 Position Review, 2 rounds:
5 Power Snatch (dowel)
5 Overhead Squats (dowel)
5 Squat Snatches (dowel)
What I did: Same.
Performance / WOD:
A. Snatch 4x2 @ 80% 1RM or Work Technique (Translation: 4 repeats of 2 reps at 80% of your 1 rep maximum or you can work on your Snatch technique).
What I did: Worked on my Snatch technique with Coach Jen, 15lb bar only.
B. Teams of two, AMRAP 15:00 (as many reps as possible for 15 minutes, each team member alternates their round, partner 1 does their 5 Snatches and 10 Burpees, when done, partner 2 starts their round. Continue until the clock runs out):
5 Power Snatches (95lb men / 65lb women)
10 Lateral Burpees (Burpee, jump over your bar, Burpee, jump, Burpee, etc.)
What I did: 5 Power Snatches (15lb bar only) / 10 Lateral Burpees until I couldn't even stumble over my little bar anymore and then I switched to regular Burpees (well, the bad Burpees that I am currently doing). After my third round, Coach Jen told me to switch to 8 Burpees per round as I was losing it and probably holding up my team member too much. I got through 5 rounds though, so that's pretty good for me.
I'll tell you though, 15 minutes never seemed so freaking long! I couldn't believe it when Coach Jen called out that we were halfway through -- WHAT?!
C. (Cash Out Workout) 1000 meter Row for time.
What I did: Same. I forgot how long it took me though. I want to say 3:something, but I'm not sure now.
I'm glad that I didn't let this week defeat me. I could easily have blown tonight off, but I knew that it would be that much harder to go back on Monday. Plus, watching the clock tick past 6:30 PM, I think I would have been really disappointed with myself. Fridays are harder for me because of the team/partner element, but I'm glad I sucked it up!
Another workout in the bank.
The cold is on its way out, but I'm not quite 100% yet. There was no way that I was going to miss a third CrossFit class though! This is all still so new to me that I don't feel quite established yet. I knew that if I missed a whole week of CF, that it would be that much easier to quit altogether. Certainly it would be that much harder to start again. So, I pushed myself out the door and to the 6:30 PM class.
It's still hard to walk in there. I still feel a little stupid and awkward, but each time it gets just a little bit easier. And I'm starting to know the people a little better, so that helps a lot. Most of the people there continue to be so friendly and genuine, you just can't help but like everyone, they are all always laughing and are just so laid back. Well, they're laid back and then they're not. If you are watching during the WOD, things can get pretty intense!
Anyway, here is the workout for Friday, June 13th:
Warm-Up:
4 minutes of Line Drills (run back & forth across the room repeating):
Butt Kicks
High Skips
Karaoke High-Step
Shuffle
What I did: Same, except the high skips aggravated a tweaky ankle, so I just did another line of Butt Kicks instead for that interval.
Stretching:
Hip Mobility Complex
Figure 4
Dislocates
Mash your Bits (not sure what this is)
What I did: Same except for Mash your Bits. Not sure if anyone did that.
Strength Warm-Up:
Snatch Warm-Up, led by coach:
3 Position Review, 2 rounds:
5 Power Snatch (dowel)
5 Overhead Squats (dowel)
5 Squat Snatches (dowel)
What I did: Same.
Performance / WOD:
A. Snatch 4x2 @ 80% 1RM or Work Technique (Translation: 4 repeats of 2 reps at 80% of your 1 rep maximum or you can work on your Snatch technique).
What I did: Worked on my Snatch technique with Coach Jen, 15lb bar only.
B. Teams of two, AMRAP 15:00 (as many reps as possible for 15 minutes, each team member alternates their round, partner 1 does their 5 Snatches and 10 Burpees, when done, partner 2 starts their round. Continue until the clock runs out):
5 Power Snatches (95lb men / 65lb women)
10 Lateral Burpees (Burpee, jump over your bar, Burpee, jump, Burpee, etc.)
What I did: 5 Power Snatches (15lb bar only) / 10 Lateral Burpees until I couldn't even stumble over my little bar anymore and then I switched to regular Burpees (well, the bad Burpees that I am currently doing). After my third round, Coach Jen told me to switch to 8 Burpees per round as I was losing it and probably holding up my team member too much. I got through 5 rounds though, so that's pretty good for me.
I'll tell you though, 15 minutes never seemed so freaking long! I couldn't believe it when Coach Jen called out that we were halfway through -- WHAT?!
C. (Cash Out Workout) 1000 meter Row for time.
What I did: Same. I forgot how long it took me though. I want to say 3:something, but I'm not sure now.
I'm glad that I didn't let this week defeat me. I could easily have blown tonight off, but I knew that it would be that much harder to go back on Monday. Plus, watching the clock tick past 6:30 PM, I think I would have been really disappointed with myself. Fridays are harder for me because of the team/partner element, but I'm glad I sucked it up!
Another workout in the bank.
The Jumping Scrooge
I've managed to get a reputation for myself at the barn as being someone who is extremely adverse to jumping. It's actually become a bit of a running joke. My nerve seems to wax and wane based on how much I'm riding and (of course) how much I'm jumping. The less I do, the less confident I am. Makes sense. In the past few years my riding has been somewhat inconsistent, so my enthusiasm to jump has mirrored that. The less fit I am, the less I want to jump too as I am less stable. Jumping can be dangerous, if you don't feel stable, you don't feel safe. And, let's be honest, it's very much a mental game. You don't do it much, you start to freak out. That is very much the case with me.
I think my trainer actually finds it a little bit funny at this point. It's a running joke whether she is going to make me jump in any given lesson. So, imagine her surprise last night when I started warming up over the fences before she even told me to get started! Over the past week I've: jumped while out hunting; jumped in a group lesson on Wednesday; and jumped in a private lesson last night. And not once did I complain or express distress. After warming up last night, before my trainer was ready to start my lesson, I started my own exercise of riding balanced cantered circles, working in a jump, down to another part of the ring, more balanced canter circles, work in another jump, to another part of the ring, and circle, jump, etc. My trainer liked what I was doing and so created a course for me where I was to work in my canter circles at different points. This is a great exercise for Ruby as she tends to get flat and fast and wants to both counter-bend and motorcycle around the turns and also for me as it slows my mind down and makes me think and even relax a bit. It also makes me insist on balance and a quality canter.
After all that we were rewarded by doing some jumping in the field, including my favorite "house" coop and the big panel. For some reason I don't get as nervous about jumping in the field as I do in the ring. One of the reasons is, well, it's fun! The other, I think it flows a little better. Ruby always seems to have a more natural forward, but rate-able, pace in the field and it just seems a little more natural. I guess if I were to be honest, I should say that you don't really have much in the way of related distances in our field either so the jumping is less complicated, so I'm sure that is part of it. You can kind of just go with the flow and you have more time to set yourself up for each jump as it comes. Well, for whatever reason, I prefer jumping in the field!
With all of this said, I believe I am experiencing a shift in my jumping attitude. No, my heart has not grown bigger, but I think my confidence has grown a bit. I have been riding a lot more this Spring and have been working harder on a lot of those rides too. Yes, I believe that working harder in Dressage does translate over to jumping. I am pushing for what I want from Ruby and am starting to get it. I am more & more a rider and less of a passenger these days. I also think that taking on CrossFit has given me more confidence overall. Suddenly I'm more willing to put myself out there more. I might still be nervous about jumping or going hunting, but I'm more willing to give it a try. I have to also say that the jumps are starting to look a little small. Perhaps I'll be asking my trainer to put them back up to my old height of 3-feet someday soon.
I think my trainer actually finds it a little bit funny at this point. It's a running joke whether she is going to make me jump in any given lesson. So, imagine her surprise last night when I started warming up over the fences before she even told me to get started! Over the past week I've: jumped while out hunting; jumped in a group lesson on Wednesday; and jumped in a private lesson last night. And not once did I complain or express distress. After warming up last night, before my trainer was ready to start my lesson, I started my own exercise of riding balanced cantered circles, working in a jump, down to another part of the ring, more balanced canter circles, work in another jump, to another part of the ring, and circle, jump, etc. My trainer liked what I was doing and so created a course for me where I was to work in my canter circles at different points. This is a great exercise for Ruby as she tends to get flat and fast and wants to both counter-bend and motorcycle around the turns and also for me as it slows my mind down and makes me think and even relax a bit. It also makes me insist on balance and a quality canter.
After all that we were rewarded by doing some jumping in the field, including my favorite "house" coop and the big panel. For some reason I don't get as nervous about jumping in the field as I do in the ring. One of the reasons is, well, it's fun! The other, I think it flows a little better. Ruby always seems to have a more natural forward, but rate-able, pace in the field and it just seems a little more natural. I guess if I were to be honest, I should say that you don't really have much in the way of related distances in our field either so the jumping is less complicated, so I'm sure that is part of it. You can kind of just go with the flow and you have more time to set yourself up for each jump as it comes. Well, for whatever reason, I prefer jumping in the field!
With all of this said, I believe I am experiencing a shift in my jumping attitude. No, my heart has not grown bigger, but I think my confidence has grown a bit. I have been riding a lot more this Spring and have been working harder on a lot of those rides too. Yes, I believe that working harder in Dressage does translate over to jumping. I am pushing for what I want from Ruby and am starting to get it. I am more & more a rider and less of a passenger these days. I also think that taking on CrossFit has given me more confidence overall. Suddenly I'm more willing to put myself out there more. I might still be nervous about jumping or going hunting, but I'm more willing to give it a try. I have to also say that the jumps are starting to look a little small. Perhaps I'll be asking my trainer to put them back up to my old height of 3-feet someday soon.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Monday, June 09, 2014
A CrossFit Story: Jeremy
Since I am sick and will not be attending CrossFit today, I am posting a CrossFit story that I enjoyed.
Fox Hunting!
Ruby and I hunting in November, 2010 (Ruby is the chestnut & white pinto in the middle).
A couple of friends at my barn belong to a local hunt and have been after me for a long time to join them for a hunt. I went once, and had a great time, but I hadn't gone again, mostly because I haven't felt that I have been in shape for it. And it's a bit daunting, so I'll admit to being nervous. This year they decided to add a Spring cubbing season and my friends were again asking me if I would like to go. I finally said yes!
I had a very tough and challenging CrossFit session on Friday night and then got up early on Saturday morning very nervous about what I had signed myself up for. We got to the hunt fixture with plenty of time, so it helped that I didn't feel rushed getting Ruby tacked up. We rode up a little trail to the field where we were gathering. Once we turned the corner and Ruby saw the hounds, her head went up and her ears pricked forward as if to say, 'oh, I know what THIS is!' She was pretty excited from the start. We got started walking down to the trail and she was jigging this way and that and suddenly the hounds let out a full cry and we were off, galloping full out!
The first galloping set was challenging to say the least. Ruby was very strong and full of herself and I spent most of it trying to have a conversation with her. She got so close up my friend's horse's butt that he actually kicked out at her in warning (Ruby didn't seem to care). We entered a field and almost committed the cardinal sin of passing hunt staff. Luckily I was able to pull her up before that happened. After that first mad gallop, however, she was great! The hunt field this time would gallop for a bit, then we would stop and re-group and collect the hounds up and then gallop on again. We spent most of the ride standing or galloping with very little between. I was happy with how adjustable Ruby really was after that first crazy sprint. She was right up there in the front, but listening and I found that I could easily check her down to a slower pace when needed. There weren't a ton a jumps at this fixture, but there were a few and we flew over them too fast for me to even register anything about them. Were they big? I don't even know.
After lots & lots of galloping we were walking through the field at the end and someone said, "oh look, a fawn!" I looked around and then down and literally at Ruby's feet all curled up and sleeping was a little fawn. He finally woke up and looked around and saw all these horses standing around him and skittered out of there. It was so cute and funny and random.
After the hunt we enjoyed the hunt "tea" under a tree in the field where we were parked. Many of the hunt members asked me if I would be back and I said that I would love to. They also asked why I hadn't been back since the first time and I said, "I don't know, I guess I've been nervous." Someone laughed and said, "Usually when someone is nervous, they want to ride in the back." Yeah, not Ruby & me, we were at the front of the field.
Friday, June 06, 2014
A Ton of Running: CrossFit 06/06/2014
So, I mentioned in a recent post that I wanted to eventually add some running into my week, but that I wanted to establish my routine and consistency with CrossFit first. Yeah. Maybe not the best strategy as tonight as we ended up having to do sprints as part of the WOD! To add insult to injury, the class voted to run as a warm-up too. I am so not ready for this.
Anyway, Friday's posted workout:
Warm-Up:
EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) x5 Rounds
5 Burpees
10 Air Squats
What I did: Ran 600 meters (class choice). Around the block is apparently exactly 600m. I started out and the rest of the class was quickly way ahead. Like I haven't seen THAT before! But I didn't mind, because back-of-the-pack running is something that I am pretty used to, even if it's been a long time since I've run in any kind of a group setting. I set off trying to pace myself and I am proud that I made up up to the top of the slow hill at the beginning of the loop. But after that I did a walk/run thing. It was just meant to be the warm-up anyway, so I didn't need to kill myself so early in the session. The WOD does a good enough job of that without my helping it along, thank you very much.
Barbell warm-up led by coach:
2 rounds:
5 Deadlifts (bar)
5 SDHP (sumo deadlift high pull)
5 Med Ball Cleans
What I did: Same.
Stretching:
Samson + Hamstring
IT Band Cross-Body Stretch (with band)
Glute/Hamstring Smash (with softballs/supernova)
T-Spine Smash (with lax balls)
What I did: Same. Except I didn't do anything with "softballs", "supernova" (what the heck is that???) or lax balls.
Performance WOD:
A. Deadlift E2M x 4 Sets x 3 Reps @ 80-85% 1 RM (Translation: 3 Deadlift reps every two minutes x4 sets, weight should be 80-85% of your 1 rep maximum. So, if your Deadlift weight max for 1 rep is 100 lbs, you should do this exercise at 80-85lbs).
What I did: Same, 75lbs for the Deadlifts. The max weight I had done in my 1:1 sessions was 85lbs, but this is a very soft max. The 75 wasn't a struggle, so I'm sure I could go up a fair amount for a short rep exercise.
B. Teams of two, for time:
8 x 100m Sprints alternating
50 Deadlifts (185lbs men / 125lbs women)
50 Push Press (95/65)
50 T2B (toes-to-bar)
8 x 100m Sprints, alternating
What I did: Coach Jen teamed with me, which was very nice of her especially as I'm sure she had already done her own WOD earlier! Plus, pairing with me is pretty much a guarantee that you will be DFL, so there is that too.
Anyway ... I did ALL of my allotted sprints. ALL of them. I thought I was going to pass out a couple of times, but I. Did. Not. Walk. Very proud of that. Of course, you just CAN'T walk with everyone standing there watching and cheering for you, so I had to keep going. The set of sprint repeats at the end, I have to say I had slowed down quite a bit, but I kept running and even managed a bit of a kick on the last sprint. Killer. Talk about feel noodle-y at the end!
I did my half of the Deadlifts (but at 75lbs) and Push Presses (at 25lbs), so I am happy with that. For the T2B, I did leg lifts from the floor, but my upper hip area is so tight right now that this was (ironically) probably the hardest thing for me to do, physically. Poor Coach Jen had to pick up the slack for me and do more T2B to make up for it! (I'm sure she was happy about that).
I'm feeling pretty freaking good right about now. Some thoughts:
Anyway, Friday's posted workout:
Warm-Up:
EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) x5 Rounds
5 Burpees
10 Air Squats
What I did: Ran 600 meters (class choice). Around the block is apparently exactly 600m. I started out and the rest of the class was quickly way ahead. Like I haven't seen THAT before! But I didn't mind, because back-of-the-pack running is something that I am pretty used to, even if it's been a long time since I've run in any kind of a group setting. I set off trying to pace myself and I am proud that I made up up to the top of the slow hill at the beginning of the loop. But after that I did a walk/run thing. It was just meant to be the warm-up anyway, so I didn't need to kill myself so early in the session. The WOD does a good enough job of that without my helping it along, thank you very much.
Barbell warm-up led by coach:
2 rounds:
5 Deadlifts (bar)
5 SDHP (sumo deadlift high pull)
5 Med Ball Cleans
What I did: Same.
Stretching:
Samson + Hamstring
IT Band Cross-Body Stretch (with band)
Glute/Hamstring Smash (with softballs/supernova)
T-Spine Smash (with lax balls)
What I did: Same. Except I didn't do anything with "softballs", "supernova" (what the heck is that???) or lax balls.
Performance WOD:
A. Deadlift E2M x 4 Sets x 3 Reps @ 80-85% 1 RM (Translation: 3 Deadlift reps every two minutes x4 sets, weight should be 80-85% of your 1 rep maximum. So, if your Deadlift weight max for 1 rep is 100 lbs, you should do this exercise at 80-85lbs).
What I did: Same, 75lbs for the Deadlifts. The max weight I had done in my 1:1 sessions was 85lbs, but this is a very soft max. The 75 wasn't a struggle, so I'm sure I could go up a fair amount for a short rep exercise.
B. Teams of two, for time:
8 x 100m Sprints alternating
50 Deadlifts (185lbs men / 125lbs women)
50 Push Press (95/65)
50 T2B (toes-to-bar)
8 x 100m Sprints, alternating
What I did: Coach Jen teamed with me, which was very nice of her especially as I'm sure she had already done her own WOD earlier! Plus, pairing with me is pretty much a guarantee that you will be DFL, so there is that too.
Anyway ... I did ALL of my allotted sprints. ALL of them. I thought I was going to pass out a couple of times, but I. Did. Not. Walk. Very proud of that. Of course, you just CAN'T walk with everyone standing there watching and cheering for you, so I had to keep going. The set of sprint repeats at the end, I have to say I had slowed down quite a bit, but I kept running and even managed a bit of a kick on the last sprint. Killer. Talk about feel noodle-y at the end!
I did my half of the Deadlifts (but at 75lbs) and Push Presses (at 25lbs), so I am happy with that. For the T2B, I did leg lifts from the floor, but my upper hip area is so tight right now that this was (ironically) probably the hardest thing for me to do, physically. Poor Coach Jen had to pick up the slack for me and do more T2B to make up for it! (I'm sure she was happy about that).
I'm feeling pretty freaking good right about now. Some thoughts:
- I did not look up the WOD before class tonight (or Tuesday). I think that is the best approach for right now. I'm afraid that I might talk myself out of going if the workout scares me!
- I really need to start running for real. Just 30 minutes of running a few times a week will make a big difference, I think.
- I feel really good about getting in a ride (Dressage school) on Ruby on my lunch hour. When I manage to both ride and CrossFit on the same day I feel especially satisfied and well-rounded.
- I think I should schedule a good deep-tissue sports massage. That might help loosen up the tightness I have in my upper hip/lower back.
- I can't say enough about how wonderful all the people are at CF. Not only was the whole class cheering for everyone, but the people who were not in the class but there to work on skills or whatever all stopped what they were doing to come out and cheer for everyone during the sprints.
I've been thinking of each CF workout as just another deposit in the bank. The more deposits I make, the more it's going to payoff.
Thursday, June 05, 2014
Tuesday, June 03, 2014
CrossFit: 06/03/2014 -- Killer Workout!
Let me just start by saying that I absolutely did not want to go to CrossFit tonight. I was really dreading it. But I also knew that I would be very disappointed with myself if I didn't. So, I went and it was unbelievably tough. It's probably a good thing that I didn't look up the workout ahead of time. I'm very glad that I went, but there were a few points during the WOD when I questioned whether I was going to make it!
Warm-Up:
Repeats of:
1:00 Jump Rope (the stupid jump rope again!)
:30 Lunge Steps
:30 High Knees (basically, running in place, but bringing up your knees as high as you can)
Note: I can't remember how long we did these repeats, I want to say 15 minutes, but I am feeling a bit addled at this point!
What I did: The SAME! Yes! I know it doesn't sound like much, but this warm-up was HARD. Also, I find that I am already getting better at the jump rope. I'm smoother and more efficient and I don't seem to panic as much. I can pump out about 10-15 jumps now before screwing it up.
Barbell warm-up led by coach:
3 Rounds of:
5 Hang Power Cleans
5 Front Squats
5 Full Cleans
What I did: Same.
Stretching:
Couch Stretch
Super Front Rack/Banded Shoulder
Pec Opener (on wall)
T-Spine/Lat Smash
Quad/Hamstring Smash
What I did: Couch Stretch, some hip complex and foam roller for my upper-hip/lower-back.
Performance WOD:
A. Clean Complex (12:00 to go heavy)
What I did: Power Cleans starting with the 15lb bar and finishing with 35lbs.
B. 15-12-9-6-3 for Time:
Power Cleans (115lb men/75lb women)
Burpees
* 200m run after each round.
Note: Let me explain, just so we are clear. 15 reps of Power Clean lifts. 15 Burpees. Run 200 meters outside. 12 reps of Power Clean lifts. 12 Burpees. Run 200 meters. 9 reps of Power Clean lifts. 9 Burpees. Run 200 meters. 6 Power Clean lifts. 6 Burpees. Run 200 meters. 3 Power Clean lifts. 3 Burpees. Run 200 meters. Yeah, that's right.
What I did: THE SAME!!!!! Yes! Okay, not quite. I did the Power Cleans, but at 35 lbs. And I walked 100 meters/ran 100 meters for each of the run repeats. But I got through it and did all the intervals so, yay me. Of course I was DFL (Dead Fucking Last), but I don't even care. Yeah, that's right.
Okay, so there I was at the end, pouring sweat, gasping for air, sitting on the rowing machine just to sit and try to recover and Coach Jen comes over and says, "so, you know that there is a Cash Out Workout tonight, right?" WHAT???? No, WTF is that??? She told me that she would let me off the hook, but it was either run or row for 4 minutes. Seriously??? Okay, so I rowed for the 4 minutes.
Killer workout. I think this was the hardest one yet.
Warm-Up:
Repeats of:
1:00 Jump Rope (the stupid jump rope again!)
:30 Lunge Steps
:30 High Knees (basically, running in place, but bringing up your knees as high as you can)
Note: I can't remember how long we did these repeats, I want to say 15 minutes, but I am feeling a bit addled at this point!
What I did: The SAME! Yes! I know it doesn't sound like much, but this warm-up was HARD. Also, I find that I am already getting better at the jump rope. I'm smoother and more efficient and I don't seem to panic as much. I can pump out about 10-15 jumps now before screwing it up.
Barbell warm-up led by coach:
3 Rounds of:
5 Hang Power Cleans
5 Front Squats
5 Full Cleans
What I did: Same.
Stretching:
Couch Stretch
Super Front Rack/Banded Shoulder
Pec Opener (on wall)
T-Spine/Lat Smash
Quad/Hamstring Smash
What I did: Couch Stretch, some hip complex and foam roller for my upper-hip/lower-back.
Performance WOD:
A. Clean Complex (12:00 to go heavy)
What I did: Power Cleans starting with the 15lb bar and finishing with 35lbs.
B. 15-12-9-6-3 for Time:
Power Cleans (115lb men/75lb women)
Burpees
* 200m run after each round.
Note: Let me explain, just so we are clear. 15 reps of Power Clean lifts. 15 Burpees. Run 200 meters outside. 12 reps of Power Clean lifts. 12 Burpees. Run 200 meters. 9 reps of Power Clean lifts. 9 Burpees. Run 200 meters. 6 Power Clean lifts. 6 Burpees. Run 200 meters. 3 Power Clean lifts. 3 Burpees. Run 200 meters. Yeah, that's right.
What I did: THE SAME!!!!! Yes! Okay, not quite. I did the Power Cleans, but at 35 lbs. And I walked 100 meters/ran 100 meters for each of the run repeats. But I got through it and did all the intervals so, yay me. Of course I was DFL (Dead Fucking Last), but I don't even care. Yeah, that's right.
Okay, so there I was at the end, pouring sweat, gasping for air, sitting on the rowing machine just to sit and try to recover and Coach Jen comes over and says, "so, you know that there is a Cash Out Workout tonight, right?" WHAT???? No, WTF is that??? She told me that she would let me off the hook, but it was either run or row for 4 minutes. Seriously??? Okay, so I rowed for the 4 minutes.
Killer workout. I think this was the hardest one yet.
Dressage Is Hard Work
I've mentioned before how far Ruby has come in her Dressage work. Her trot work, in particular is leaps & bounds beyond where we were a couple of years ago. I actually can remember the very first time (a couple of summers ago) when I got a true forward, round trot on the aids where she lifted her back and reached for the contact. It almost seemed to happen so suddenly and even magically. I remember just going with it, reinforcing my inside leg from time-to-time, but just enjoying the ride. After that day, I struggled to reproduce that trot, but it didn't easily show up. But slowly, over the past year or so, it has shown up more & more consistently. It is usually hard work to get there, some days I can't get it at all. But it is a much more regular thing these days. The quality and power of the trot since that first day has improved as well. When it all comes together, it feels so organic and so right. Ruby will carry herself and power off her haunches and I'll sit on that beach ball feeling like she is truly and completely at my command.
But, as I like to say, Dressage is a tricky bastard. There are the days when I. Just. Can't. Get. It. Last Wednesday was one of those sessions. I had a flat lesson and, there was the rest of the group, cruising around with their horses round and forward and soft. And there I was stuck at a standstill with a horse with her head in the air doing anything she could to avoid moving forward and accepting any contact. I had a full-blown argument on my hands. I spent an hour booting her forward and making her do walk-canter and canter-lengthen-canter transitions. After an hour of the fight, I finally, for the last five minutes of the session, had a trot nearing what I wanted. I was a sodden, limp rag when it was over. Ruby, was just getting started and was raring to go.
So, the next day I came back for a private session with my trainer for some remedial Dressage work. We spent most of it on a figure-8 (10 meters per loop), walk-trot, halt-trot and then, trot-canter and halt-canter transitions, correcting every evasion she came up with. No breaks. Just solid work until she softened, came on the aids and started carrying herself. When it happened, it's like the sun finally shone and all was right with my world (and with hers!) I was once again a sodden, limp rag after this session, but I was a happy one!
After a weekend of hacking out, yesterday I ran to the barn on my lunch hour and ran Ruby through a Dressage school. After some warm-up on a long rein, she softened and came onto the contact much more quickly without any of the real fight we had last week. I was so happy with her. My trainer said last Thursday that she really tries everything to evade coming round and now that she is making progress in her Dressage development, I am asking more of her (and more consistently), rather than just taking what I can get. So, she is protesting some. It's hard for me to know when to push and when to back off because, the last thing I want to do is overface or sour her. But I think what the last few weeks, particularly the last week, has taught me is that she is more than capable and that what I really need to do is stick to my guns and insist.
Bottom-line, it is exhausting work! But so worth the fight.
But, as I like to say, Dressage is a tricky bastard. There are the days when I. Just. Can't. Get. It. Last Wednesday was one of those sessions. I had a flat lesson and, there was the rest of the group, cruising around with their horses round and forward and soft. And there I was stuck at a standstill with a horse with her head in the air doing anything she could to avoid moving forward and accepting any contact. I had a full-blown argument on my hands. I spent an hour booting her forward and making her do walk-canter and canter-lengthen-canter transitions. After an hour of the fight, I finally, for the last five minutes of the session, had a trot nearing what I wanted. I was a sodden, limp rag when it was over. Ruby, was just getting started and was raring to go.
So, the next day I came back for a private session with my trainer for some remedial Dressage work. We spent most of it on a figure-8 (10 meters per loop), walk-trot, halt-trot and then, trot-canter and halt-canter transitions, correcting every evasion she came up with. No breaks. Just solid work until she softened, came on the aids and started carrying herself. When it happened, it's like the sun finally shone and all was right with my world (and with hers!) I was once again a sodden, limp rag after this session, but I was a happy one!
After a weekend of hacking out, yesterday I ran to the barn on my lunch hour and ran Ruby through a Dressage school. After some warm-up on a long rein, she softened and came onto the contact much more quickly without any of the real fight we had last week. I was so happy with her. My trainer said last Thursday that she really tries everything to evade coming round and now that she is making progress in her Dressage development, I am asking more of her (and more consistently), rather than just taking what I can get. So, she is protesting some. It's hard for me to know when to push and when to back off because, the last thing I want to do is overface or sour her. But I think what the last few weeks, particularly the last week, has taught me is that she is more than capable and that what I really need to do is stick to my guns and insist.
Bottom-line, it is exhausting work! But so worth the fight.
Starting June Off Right: CrossFit 06/02/2014
I started out my work week on the right track by putting Ruby through a Dressage school yesterday at lunch time and then following up with a CrossFit session in the evening.
I am still feeling awkward and out of sorts walking into the gym (CrossFit calls them "boxes"). But each time the awkwardness is a little less, so that part, at least, is getting a bit easier. I am also starting to get to know people too, so that helps.
Monday's Session:
Warm-up:
Run or Row 400m
What I did: Row.
(One of these days I'll actually run. Maybe.)
3 Rounds of:
5 Pull-Ups
10 Push-Ups
15 Air Squats
What I did: 10 ring rows. 10 push-ups from the box. 15 air squats. x3.
Stretching:
Hip Complex
Lax Ball Upper Trap Smash
Kicks
Calf/Hamstring Smash
T-Spine Smash
What I did: Same, except, I don't think I bothered with the Lax ball thing.
Performance (WOD):
A. HBBS 3x9 @ 70% 1RM (HBBS = High Bar Back Squat. 3x9 means three sets of 9 at 70% of your max and then 1RM, is one at max weight ... I think!)
What I did: Practiced some high bar back squats with the coach with just the bar first. Then added 10 lbs and did one set of 10 with that. Took off the 10 and added 20 and did two sets of 10 at that weight. Weight with bar = 35lbs. It was enough weight where I had to concentrate on my form, but wasn't too difficult. I can probably add more weight for this exercise).
B. AMRAP 12:00 (As Many Reps As Possible in 12 minutes)
Increasing intervals: 5 Wall Balls (20lb medicine ball men/14 lb medicine ball women) / 5 Pull Ups; 10 Wall Balls (20/14) / 10 Pull Ups; 15 Wall Balls (20/14) / 15 Pull Ups; 20 Wall Balls (20/14) / 20 Pull Ups
What I did: 5/5 10/10 15/15 20/20 5/5 10/10 Wall Balls (10lb medicine ball) / Ring Rows.
I took a big break after I had finished the 20, before starting back on round two at 5 again. I should have made the break shorter, probably could have gotten through more. Those wall balls get tough though!
I'm so happy that there was no jump rope last night! I have to get to the point where I can start to do some kind of assisted pull-up though. I'm embarrassed to be the only one doing ring rows.
A Note About Stretching: I haven't really said much about the stretching we do at CrossFit, but I did want to mention that they focus quite a bit on hip stretching. I think it has actually helped me a lot already as I am no longer feeling the chronic hip flexor ache that I've had in my right hip for the past few years.
I am still feeling awkward and out of sorts walking into the gym (CrossFit calls them "boxes"). But each time the awkwardness is a little less, so that part, at least, is getting a bit easier. I am also starting to get to know people too, so that helps.
Monday's Session:
Warm-up:
Run or Row 400m
What I did: Row.
(One of these days I'll actually run. Maybe.)
3 Rounds of:
5 Pull-Ups
10 Push-Ups
15 Air Squats
What I did: 10 ring rows. 10 push-ups from the box. 15 air squats. x3.
Stretching:
Hip Complex
Lax Ball Upper Trap Smash
Kicks
Calf/Hamstring Smash
T-Spine Smash
What I did: Same, except, I don't think I bothered with the Lax ball thing.
Performance (WOD):
A. HBBS 3x9 @ 70% 1RM (HBBS = High Bar Back Squat. 3x9 means three sets of 9 at 70% of your max and then 1RM, is one at max weight ... I think!)
What I did: Practiced some high bar back squats with the coach with just the bar first. Then added 10 lbs and did one set of 10 with that. Took off the 10 and added 20 and did two sets of 10 at that weight. Weight with bar = 35lbs. It was enough weight where I had to concentrate on my form, but wasn't too difficult. I can probably add more weight for this exercise).
B. AMRAP 12:00 (As Many Reps As Possible in 12 minutes)
Increasing intervals: 5 Wall Balls (20lb medicine ball men/14 lb medicine ball women) / 5 Pull Ups; 10 Wall Balls (20/14) / 10 Pull Ups; 15 Wall Balls (20/14) / 15 Pull Ups; 20 Wall Balls (20/14) / 20 Pull Ups
What I did: 5/5 10/10 15/15 20/20 5/5 10/10 Wall Balls (10lb medicine ball) / Ring Rows.
I took a big break after I had finished the 20, before starting back on round two at 5 again. I should have made the break shorter, probably could have gotten through more. Those wall balls get tough though!
I'm so happy that there was no jump rope last night! I have to get to the point where I can start to do some kind of assisted pull-up though. I'm embarrassed to be the only one doing ring rows.
A Note About Stretching: I haven't really said much about the stretching we do at CrossFit, but I did want to mention that they focus quite a bit on hip stretching. I think it has actually helped me a lot already as I am no longer feeling the chronic hip flexor ache that I've had in my right hip for the past few years.
Sunday, June 01, 2014
CrossFit: Friday, May 30th, 2014
Friday night was my second group CrossFit class. After Tuesday's class, I actually decided to come back for more. It is still hard for me to walk in there, I still feel pretty awkward and out of shape compared to most, but as the people become more familiar and as I start to understand the structure of the session, I feel a little better. I know that the WOD at the end is always going to kick my butt, so I have decided that I just have to suck it up!
Friday's session:
Warm-Up:
Run, Bike or Row for 3 minutes
What I did: Row.
Snatch Warm-Up Led by Coach:
3 Position Refresher:
5 Snatch Deadlifts (bar)
5 Hang Power Snatches (bar)
5 Overhead Squats (bar)
5 Squat Snatches (bar)
What I did: Same.
Stretching:
Hip Mobility Complex
Kicks
Arm Circles
T-Spine/Lat Smash
Individual Mobility
What I did: Same.
Performance (WOD):
A. Snatch - 15:00 to work up to a heavy single.
Friday's session:
Warm-Up:
Run, Bike or Row for 3 minutes
What I did: Row.
Snatch Warm-Up Led by Coach:
3 Position Refresher:
5 Snatch Deadlifts (bar)
5 Hang Power Snatches (bar)
5 Overhead Squats (bar)
5 Squat Snatches (bar)
What I did: Same.
Stretching:
Hip Mobility Complex
Kicks
Arm Circles
T-Spine/Lat Smash
Individual Mobility
What I did: Same.
Performance (WOD):
A. Snatch - 15:00 to work up to a heavy single.
What I did: Coach Jen had me work mostly on the hang power snatches so I would get the technique down. I did this with the 15lb bar only, no weight. I definitely was better and smoother after the work.
B. Teams of two, AMRAP (as many reps as possible) 15:00 leapfrog format:
10 Burpees
10 Power Snatches (men 75lb/women 55lb)
10 Box Jumps (men 24"/women 20")
40 Double Unders (jump rope, rope is meant to pass 2x under feet w/ each jump)
The leapfrog format means that the first person in the team starts the first interval (in this case, burpees) and, once that interval is done, the second team member starts the next interval (power snatches, in this example). They tag team until the clock runs out, trying to get as many revolutions through the interval set as possible.
What I did: Because I am really not up to the ability of the rest of the group, Coach Jen had me work on my own, so I would not have the stress of having a team member depending on me (I was pretty happy about that!). This is what I did:
10 Burpees
10 Power Snatches (15 lb bar only)
10 Leg Lifts (lie on your back on the ground, lift legs from floor to 90°)
10 "Box" jumps, two 45 lbs plates stacked (I'm not sure what the height is, but it's much lower than 20")
Some amount of single under jump rope before giving up and moving on.
I made it through 2 revolutions of the interval set. On the second set I did do the 40 (single) jump rope exercise as I did get a little more efficient with the practice. For the third interval set I only made it through the burpees and power snatches.
It is humbling how hard this is. When I first looked at the WOD, I thought, 'hm, doesn't look so horrible' (well, other than T2B, which I knew I wasn't going to be able to do). But I figured, what's 10 reps at a time, right? Ha! It is very, very hard not to take breaks between intervals. At my level, you're just going to have to, but the trick is to pick it back up before you really want to. So, you rest, you really wish you could rest more, but you get back to it before you really feel quite ready to. As you get better, you hopefully need fewer and shorter breaks until you don't need any at all. Of course, by then you're doing REAL T2B and double-unders and weight in your lifts and whatever, so it doesn't ever really get easy.
I feel like I just have to keep my head down and keep plugging away at it. Just come to the workouts and my stamina and ability to do this will start to get better. I am thinking that I am not going to take a hard look at where I am with CrossFit until I've completed two full months of the group sessions. So, say, the beginning of August. In the meantime, I am planning on doing CrossFit on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Riding lessons on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Other riding (schooling, conditioning rides) Mondays or Fridays, Saturday and Sundays. I would also like to introduce a 30-minute run three times a week too, but I want to get the CrossFit consistency established first.
One positive effect of CrossFit that I noticed: I had a private Dressage lesson on Thursday, which means the focus was on me and only me for the entire session. Ruby was especially stubborn and uncooperative this week in her flatwork, so it was a lot of work to get her unblocked and moving forward and not just evading my insistence that she be round. It was hard, hard work (and I mean physically hard, in addition to technically hard!) Anyway, not once during this session did I ask for a break. I was actually able to power through my exhaustion and gasping for breath and work through it. Normally I would have been telling my trainer, "okay, I need to walk for a minute now" here and there. Not sure if it is because of CrossFit, or just being generally more active these days, but I definitely noticed a difference in my ability to keep going.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
And It Starts
I had my very first "real" CrossFit class last night. I came tentatively to the gym a few weeks ago to start my series of six one-on-one ramp-up sessions overwhelmed and not really knowing what to expect. I had been hearing about CrossFit for a couple of years and my most persuasive impression from the bits and pieces I had picked up was that it is "intense". Watching the end of the class before that first private session pretty much confirmed all of my fears (and, yes, my hopes).
I finished my last private on-ramp session last Friday and decided that I had better just jump into a class right away before hesitating. I figured, the longer I waited, the less likely I was to do it. So, last night was The Night.
I kind of felt sick about it all day long. I pretty much was freaking out! I've felt like that before about an upcoming ride (especially if it was going to involve jumping), but I can't say I've ever felt that way before an exercise class before! Anyway, I chose the very same class that I had been watching the end of each time I had been in for my private sessions. Right away, I felt a little familiar with some of the people in the class and they all spoke to me as we waited for the previous class to finish. It also had the advantage of being a smaller group (just six of us), so it was a little easier for me to take in. The coach, Troy, came up and chatted to me before our session, starting to put me at ease and let me know that he would be working with me throughout. I was so grateful! I right away felt comfortable (still scared, but a little bit less freaked out).
Anyway, so this was the workout:
Warm-Up:
400m Run or Row
What I did: Row.
I finished my last private on-ramp session last Friday and decided that I had better just jump into a class right away before hesitating. I figured, the longer I waited, the less likely I was to do it. So, last night was The Night.
I kind of felt sick about it all day long. I pretty much was freaking out! I've felt like that before about an upcoming ride (especially if it was going to involve jumping), but I can't say I've ever felt that way before an exercise class before! Anyway, I chose the very same class that I had been watching the end of each time I had been in for my private sessions. Right away, I felt a little familiar with some of the people in the class and they all spoke to me as we waited for the previous class to finish. It also had the advantage of being a smaller group (just six of us), so it was a little easier for me to take in. The coach, Troy, came up and chatted to me before our session, starting to put me at ease and let me know that he would be working with me throughout. I was so grateful! I right away felt comfortable (still scared, but a little bit less freaked out).
Anyway, so this was the workout:
Warm-Up:
400m Run or Row
What I did: Row.
Bar-Bell Warm-up (led by coach):
12-9-6-3 of:
Deadlifts (bar)
Hang Power Cleans (bar)
Front Squats (bar)
What I did: Same, except I held the bar on my shoulders, behind neck for the front squats.
Stretching: Hip Mobility Complex:
Side lunges
Figure 4 Stretch
T-spine/Hamstring/Quad Smash
What I did: Same.
Performance:
A. Clean Complex Work:
1. 10:00 to work on a heavy set of: 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Squat Clean + 1 TnG Clean
2. EMOM x5 x1 Squat Clean at 80% of A1.
(to be honest, I don't even know what most of this is!)
What I did: Power Cleans, working with the coach to get my technique right, adding weight as we went. Finished at 45lbs? Now I'm not sure as that is the weight I used for WOD, can't remember if it was the same for the squat cleans! ACK! Need to keep notes! Anyway, did a lot of reps of these until I was consistently getting them right.
4 Rounds for Time (This is where shit got real):
30 Double Unders (that's jumping rope, yes, you read that right, but in a double under, the jump rope must pass under your feet 2x with each jump. Yeah. Not going to happen!)
15 Deadlifts (225 men /155 women)
15 Weighted Sit-ups (A CF sit-up is a little different. You lay on the floor with your knees out to either side, soles of your feet together. Full range of motion is from arms straight behind head, touching floor, to sitting, hands touch feet. With weighted sit-ups, you hold a weight plate in your hands during the sit-up.)
What I did: Well, I kind of lost track, because it became kind of a blur. The coach talked me through it and adjusted my goals as needed. Anyway, started with: 30 single unders (and I could only seem to do a max of 5 before screwing it up). 15 deadlifts at 45 lbs. 15 sit-ups, non-weighted -- x something. Well, I know I did 4 reps, but Coach Troy adjusted the reps as I was maxing out. I think on the 4th set I did 20 single unders, 10 deadlifts and 15 sit-ups. Or was it 10? I can't remember now!
Anyway, my legs were seriously rubber noodles by the time we were done. I could hardly stand! But Coach Troy got me through it and everyone was so nice and encouraging. It felt great to finish. I felt so good that I actually stood around and chatted with some of the people from the class for a while afterwards. About 30 minutes later the endorphin euphoria set in.
I am thinking I had better go back again on Friday.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Perhaps a Sign of Progress?
Ruby and I had a long hack today that was much more of a conditioning ride than yesterday's outing. During the ride we managed a very long trot session that is probably a good couple of miles. Just about two weeks ago I had to take a significant walk break about halfway through this section. Today I managed the whole thing without much trouble. My lower back didn't even get tired or sore, which is where I usually start to feel it first. Of course, it was more work for Ruby, but an energetic posting trot is actually pretty good exercise for the rider too.
I am happy that Ruby and I are both starting off this season in much better shape than we were last year. All the hacking is also beginning to pay off for Ruby in that her canter has gotten more balanced in the past couple of weeks too.
I am happy that Ruby and I are both starting off this season in much better shape than we were last year. All the hacking is also beginning to pay off for Ruby in that her canter has gotten more balanced in the past couple of weeks too.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Just a Relaxing Sunday
I took a nice, laid back hack out with some friends through the local town forest today. The junior who has been riding Ruby had taken her to an overnight show Friday & Saturday, so I wanted just a low-key ride to have her moving and to loosen her up, but without any other goal. So it was a long walk with some trot thrown in here and there. We definitely got the best part of the weekend too. Until today it had been pretty rainy and stormy.
Later in the afternoon I took my dogs out for a trail walk. At this point it was about 78° and they were really feeling it, Fitz in particular. None of this has been very strenuous for me, fitness-wise, but it does feel great to do a number of active things throughout the day. I find that the more I do, the less I want to just sit around.
Later in the afternoon I took my dogs out for a trail walk. At this point it was about 78° and they were really feeling it, Fitz in particular. None of this has been very strenuous for me, fitness-wise, but it does feel great to do a number of active things throughout the day. I find that the more I do, the less I want to just sit around.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Time to Start Again
I think it is time I started using my blog again. I've recently started CrossFit and would like to write a bit about my experiences, as well as my continued riding and other experiences.
Just a short summary for now:
CrossFit: After a year or so of waffling, I recently signed up for a one-on-one ramp-up program with a CrossFit affiliate in my town. Yesterday I completed session 6 (of 6) and now will join the regular classes. I am overwhelmed and scared, but also excited. I think CrossFit is going be a great program for me if I can stick with it and get hooked. I have to say, after a good CF session, I feel much the way I used to feel after a hard Spinning class, depleted and noodle-y, but elated and strong. So I am very much encouraged by that.
Riding: I am still riding and I still own Ruby. I am not currently showing, however, for a few reasons. Probably the biggest is that it is such a big chunk out of any weekend and I just wasn't enjoying it much with my work schedule. I found worrying about and gearing up for a show just added more stress to my life than I really needed and then the show weekends never left me with enough down time. I am also terribly out of shape and have vowed to only do a show when I will not be horrified to see the pictures afterwards. Of course, more importantly, I need to be able to pilot my horse galloping around a cross-country course in good shape and without gasping for air.
With all that said, I continue to work very hard on my riding skills, as well as training and conditioning Ruby. Our Dressage work, in particular, has come a long, long way. Ruby is now capable of a powerful working trot pushing from behind and working over her back. Because her trot has gotten so much stronger and more powerful, we are now able to accomplish fair collection around the short end of the ring and corners which can result in an adequate lengthening. Sometimes. It's a work in progress.
Running: Well, I haven't been running. But now with the CrossFit program, many of the warm-ups and WODs (Workout of the Day) include running intervals, so I am thinking that I may want to introduce some running into the days I am not doing CF. I am thinking just sessions of thirty minutes three times a week for now. It's not going to train me any kind of running event, but that's okay.
So, that's the update, I will post more detail as it comes!
Just a short summary for now:
CrossFit: After a year or so of waffling, I recently signed up for a one-on-one ramp-up program with a CrossFit affiliate in my town. Yesterday I completed session 6 (of 6) and now will join the regular classes. I am overwhelmed and scared, but also excited. I think CrossFit is going be a great program for me if I can stick with it and get hooked. I have to say, after a good CF session, I feel much the way I used to feel after a hard Spinning class, depleted and noodle-y, but elated and strong. So I am very much encouraged by that.
Riding: I am still riding and I still own Ruby. I am not currently showing, however, for a few reasons. Probably the biggest is that it is such a big chunk out of any weekend and I just wasn't enjoying it much with my work schedule. I found worrying about and gearing up for a show just added more stress to my life than I really needed and then the show weekends never left me with enough down time. I am also terribly out of shape and have vowed to only do a show when I will not be horrified to see the pictures afterwards. Of course, more importantly, I need to be able to pilot my horse galloping around a cross-country course in good shape and without gasping for air.
With all that said, I continue to work very hard on my riding skills, as well as training and conditioning Ruby. Our Dressage work, in particular, has come a long, long way. Ruby is now capable of a powerful working trot pushing from behind and working over her back. Because her trot has gotten so much stronger and more powerful, we are now able to accomplish fair collection around the short end of the ring and corners which can result in an adequate lengthening. Sometimes. It's a work in progress.
Running: Well, I haven't been running. But now with the CrossFit program, many of the warm-ups and WODs (Workout of the Day) include running intervals, so I am thinking that I may want to introduce some running into the days I am not doing CF. I am thinking just sessions of thirty minutes three times a week for now. It's not going to train me any kind of running event, but that's okay.
So, that's the update, I will post more detail as it comes!
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