A Perfect Saturday

Today was a great day. I started my morning right at CrossFit Central LI. Because it is absolutely ridiculously cold out, I need to wear all of that to even drive to the box. Spandex, knee-socks, CFHK t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, CFHK hoodie, and sweatpants JUST TO GET TO THE BOX. Remind me why we didn't move to California again? The theme of today was patriotic.

The WOD was a doozy. Lance and I formed Team No Pants and turned it into a partner WOD. Some folks actually read the website and rested a minute in between rounds. Others folks, Lance and I included, used the 400m run as active recovery slash time to complain about how cold it was.

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot

This year I ran the 2nd annual Oyster Bay Turkey Trot because no one is willing to drive my ass to Garden City anymore. I'm okay with this because the Oyster Bay Turkey Trot turned out to be a damn good race.

There's a kid in my neighborhood who my family calls the Runner. For at least a decade I can remember seeing him running along the side of the road, fast efficient strides, no music. It's 100 degrees out? Oh look, it's the Runner. It's snowing ice pellets? Oh look, it's the Runner. You saw drove down 25A and saw him at 11 AM and now you're on your way home at 3 PM? Oh look, it's the Runner. My dad once called the police about him because he was concerned and apparently the local station got calls at the time. He's an athlete in training, he doesn't have a problem, and thank you for his concern.

I Am Not a Clothes Hanger

I've been reading reactions to "strong is the new skinny" and "strong is the new sexy" and how both are exclusive to people who are not physically strong. Strong doesn't mean you have to look like Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, although you should probably want to. It means you can actually pick up something heavy (whatever heavy is to you) because you haven't spent all day starving yourself to look like a clothes hanger.

source

Maybe I Should Fire My Shrink

October 18, 2012 to October 18, 2013 was probably the absolute worst year of my life. I had my heart broken, I was roofied, I made an ass out of myself, I blacked out, I spent more hungover hours on planes than anyone should in their entire lifetime, and my grandmother died. I take responsibility for everything except my grandmother. I made a lot of bad decisions during that period but spending time with my grandmother during the last two months of her life is the best decision I made all year.

The second best decision was joining CrossFit. CrossFit has changed my life. Before you dismiss that statement as another rookie who has chugged the Kool-Aid and wants to tell everyone about how great life is in knee-socks, hear me out. I had found rock bottom and I was sad. I was facing the kind of sadness that left me hopeless - that nothing was particularly wrong except for me and that if I weren't so broken then things would be different. I have good friends, a job that I love, and a patient and devoted family, but my life felt empty because I felt empty. 

Sometimes I feel that I put my personality on in the morning and that left to my own devices, I would stare at people like I sometimes find myself staring at blank walls. I have no problem with prolonged direct eye contact that most others find creepy if not terrifying. My natural resting face is often devoid of emotion. It's like bitchy resting face, but less outright mean and more "Oh shit, that's the kind of girl who throws you onto the subway tracks because you cut her off at the turnstile."

I think I've just never felt truly a part of anything until now. I wanted to be in the CrossFit community so badly that I have entirely stepped out of my comfort zone. Instead of being quick with sarcastic comments, I am quick to encourage others and cheer them on. I introduce myself to strangers, high five folks I met 5 minutes before, and care about my classmates' success as much if not more as my own. I ask if I can join too when folks are discussing fun plans in the locker room, I sign up for 5Ks because people post about them in the Facebook group, and then insist we all need to have brunch together afterwards to celebrate. I don't recognize myself and for that I am glad.

I went to CrossFit Prom last month and buying a ticket to a party where I know no one is not my style. I was obviously not showing up alone so I invited JP, but I'm pretty proud of myself for being social with everyone else and I didn't even have to blackout to do it. I apparently can't be that bad since these folks actually agree to be my friends in real life. I'll admit that it still feels a little strange to be included in things - like spending a morning volunteering at Sports Explorers with students from PS 188 - but I like it. 

So I was right - it was me that was holding me back. CrossFit has given me the confidence to stop being such an asshole. It's given me the strength to be vulnerable. And if I haven't proven my point to you yet, I now let people touch me without flinching or holding my breath. That's right - I hug. With two arms. It is a miracle.

A Few Too Many Toasts to Wishes

Happy Friday folks. Hope everyone is feeling as solid as I do.

A Great Day

Today was a great day.

(And by today, I mean yesterday because it's 12:51 AM.)

I got to go to the dentist. I love my dentist, Dr. Mishaan. I love my dental hygienist Karen even more.

shiny clean teeth courtesy of Karen

Money Well Spent

WOD:

BARBELL GYMNASTICS
HANG SNATCH
1X3 at 60 percent of 1RM
1X3 at 70 percent of 1RM
3X3 at 75-80 percent of 1RM
3X2 at 85-90 percent of 1RM

You will be given 20 minutes to complete ALL the work, including warm up. Rest 60 seconds between all sets.

CONDITIONING
METCON (TIME)
For time:

40 Burpees
40 Double-Unders
40 Split Jumps

30 Burpees
30 Double-Unders
30 Split Jumps

20 Burpees
20 Double-Unders
20 Split Jumps
15 minute time cap

What Really Happened:

CrossFit Pittsburgh

A month ago I was in Pittsburgh for work and I had the pleasure of dropping in at CrossFit Pittsburgh. Super big thank you CrossFit Pittsburgh! Yinz were great.

Because I approach every chance to travel as an opportunity to drop in at a box, I emailed Mike the owner and head coach before I even booked my flight. He got back to me right away and wait for it - told me it was FREE to drop in if you were a member of another CrossFit affiliate. I knew in my head I was going to Pittsburgh to interview candidates, but my heart told me I was flying down to WOD with the fine athletes at CrossFit Pittsburgh. (I knew I'd like them because my teammate is from Pittsburgh and Yinzers possess wonderful qualities such as friendliness, authenticity, and genuine interest in others. They're like made for CrossFit.)

So Wednesday rolls around and I don't care that I have slept a total of 6 hours in the past 2 nights nor do I care that I keep picking at my lunch in between interviews instead of eating a proper meal. I also don't care that I am beginning to shake from the combination of lack of sleep, limited nutrients, and excessive amounts of caffeine. I was going. My parting words to my roommate were, "This has the potential to end terribly. The last time I went to a WOD feeling like this, I ended up pinned underneath the 33 lbs lady bar."

Oh how right I was. We were working on the 3 position snatch. The 10 lbs training bar felt like the heaviest thing I had ever tried to lift. I tried it with 5 lbs plates and had to take them off. I was jittery and flustered because my GPS was off by less than a quarter of a mile and kept telling me to pull into a State Police K9 unit pen. I gave myself a buffer zone of 30 minutes and ended up only arriving 6 minutes early although I had been driving on the correct road the entire time. I probably had no business being in that box. And as I thought those very words to myself, I got my arms up above my head and completely, totally forgot to drop my body under the bar. It was like the lower half of my body wasn't getting messages from my brain and my brain wasn't even aware of the disconnect until the bar smacked me firmly in the forehead. The sound reverberated around the box. I could hear it in my ears. I got a metallic taste in my mouth and then realized that I was still standing so I switched to a PVC to get my form back. A month later, the spot is still a little tender but at least I don't have a horn.

The candidates I interviewed the next day had the sense not to ask questions.

Late Night CrossFit

A few Thursdays ago I went to the 9:15 PM CrossFit because I knew there was no way I was getting out of work any earlier. Turned out to be the best decision I've made all month. It only took 4 months, but I have finally found my class.

CFHK's schedule got a little shakeup recently and each class is now 50 minutes, meaning the 9:15 PM is now the 9 PM. I'm okay with this because I don't have to stay at work as long. Stephen coaches the 9 PM each evening it is available, Monday through Thursday.

If you've been reading this blog since my Equinox addiction days, you know that once I find an instructor or coach that I like, not Hell, high water, or a trip to the emergency room will keep me from class. True story - I once dug my car out of a blizzard at 6 AM to go kickboxing with Yves. Stephen is the Yves of CrossFit, which means I happily wait all day to train at 9 PM and it doesn't phase me at all when I don't get home until 11. It's actually not that bad because I can sleep in until 8 and still work a 12 hour day.

There are other perks to working and working out late. It's pretty difficult to make poor life decisions when you're busy until bedtime. All I want are my baby blankets and my DVR by the time I get home.

Sometimes I work from home in the morning if I got back from the box super late.

Sidekicks and Life Decisions

The man-child is attempting a monogamous relationship, Alex2 was confronted by Jesus in the form of an attractive tall blonde in a bar, and I failed to stay up past 10:30 PM each night this past weekend. Shit's gotten seriously weird.

To add insult to injury, my favorite CrossFit coach is away for work in San Francisco.

Although my forearms are screaming like nobody's business, I went to kickboxing class because I figured this is my opportunity to go without feeling like I'm missing out at the box. I actually like all of the coaches but please don't argue with my logic here because then I'll never use these dang classes. 

I felt like absolute garbage from the minute I walked in the place, probably because I felt like garbage before I left work. The workout was just as good as it usually is (from the 2 other times I've actually shown up) but I just didn't want to be there. My partner was this exceptionally patient girl named Anna who didn't hate me even when I epically failed at sparring.

The best part was holding onto the bag for dear life while Anna pummeled it with sidekicks.

source

Today I made a decision about moving to San Diego. I have decided not to leave New York before my lease is up and will be here for another winter. Get excited.

Sunday Funday: Team Dangerous WOD

Yesterday might have been the best Sunday Funday in the history of Sunday Fundays. Yup, it was really that good.

I went to the Sunday Funday Team WOD hosted by Team Dangerous, the anti-clique of exceptionally attractive and athletic New Yorkers whose goal is to bring together fitness folks from all over to enjoy one another's company in my favorite pastimes - working out and drinking. It was at CrossFit Black Box on W 28th Street from 2 - 5 PM. (Note: You should Google CrossFit Black Box and not just Black Box when looking for the address. Otherwise you might end up at a burlesque nightclub instead like someone we know.)

I arrived a little before 2, slightly flustered and sweaty. I always forget how far Park to the westside actually is because it looks a lot closer on a map and it's not the whole park or anything. My friend Mark, who I haven't seen in four years, met me there and we had a joyous reunion while I struggled to get out of my two fleeces. Mark is a member at Black Box. Mark is also the only person I've ever met that manages to smell good, not okay but good, after two WODs. Something is up with that but we'll investigate in the future.

I signed a waiver and paid my $10 for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts to Dave who was manning registration. As a person who has headed up registration for multiple events, let me tell you that Dave's registration system was solid. And I got a hug so that was neat.

and Dave looked around and saw that it was good
courtesy of Team Dangerous

Sunday Funday: Oly Sunday 2

I had such a great time last week at Oly Sunday that I came back for more.

My legs have been getting banged up so I finally started wearing the knee high socks. Often mistaken for some cultish CrossFit fashion trend, they protect your shins from barbell scrapes and bruises. I'm wearing a pair of American Apparel knee high socks that I've had for years but have never really worn. I used to think they made my legs look fat but now I think they look pretty good.