15.1

I've submitted my 15.1 scores and I must admit that I am pretty pleased with how I did. My goal was to complete 2 full rounds of 15.1 and then get through the deadlifts of the third round. I ended up completing 3 rounds plus 2 TTB for a score of 92 Rx. My 1RM clean and jerk had been 115# so I made my goal 105# because I factored in being tired from the first 9 minutes of the workout. I was able to PR with a 117# clean and jerk.

Workout 15.1

9-minute AMRAP:

15 toes-to-bars

10 deadlifts

5 snatches

  (M 115 lb. /  F 75 lb.)

Workout 15.1a

1-rep-max clean and jerk

  6-minute time cap

Kristen Alexander Photography

I prepared for 15.1 by getting my underarms waxed and curling my hair. I learned last year that the Open means our professional photographer boxmates can often be found with their cameras. As a self-admitted narcissist, I have no shame telling the world that I perform much better if I think a camera is on me. There doesn't even need to be a memory card or film in it. I LOVE the photo that my friend Kristen took of me locked out with my 117# jerk.

I was very lucky to have Coach Victor as my judge. I also loved the Friday Night Lights format and appreciate the Bud heavies waiting for me after I finished.

The Open is Here!

Guys, the most wonderful time of the year is here! The 2015 Reebok CrossFit Games officially kicked off last night with Rich Froning and Mat Fraser going head to head in 15.1. I watched it with Frank on my couch and cheered my head off for Fraser. Dude, 3 reps? And he missed that last jerk? Bah!

So how am I preparing for 15.1? We've got Friday Night Lights at CrossFit Identity tonight so I took off yesterday. Weekday rest days kill me and I found myself voraciously hungry. Might have been because I forgot to take my Ritalin all day. I ate all the rice, all the butter, and then ordered some sushi with extra rice for good measure. When I honeybadger the shit out of the workout tonight, I will credit my excessive butter consumption. Fun fact: Frank's favorite treat is grassfed butter!

I also borrowed Frank's favorite ball to work out some knots in my shoulder. I'm a little nervous for the toes to bar and the 75# snatches but I've decided to compete Rx. Anthony says no one at CFHK is allowed to go scaled and I'm following his lead.

CrossFit Dix Hills with Coach Chad

When I was in New York a week ago, I had the awesome opportunity to drop in at CrossFit Dix Hills. Coach Chad, formerly of CrossFit Central LI, and one of my absolute favorite coaches ever - CrossFit or otherwise, is head coach there. CrossFit Dix Hills opened earlier this year.

Their 3,200 sq. ft. facility is conveniently located on Jericho Turnpike in Dix Hills, NY. As convenient as that is for a Long Islander commuting home from work, it is not convenient for someone who is visiting her parents' in Oyster Bay. The trip was entirely worth it.

Weight Loss Wednesday 2.25.15

Weight Loss Wednesday is back! In honor of the Open, which starts tomorrow, I am slipping into my favorite patriotic shorts and taking pictures on Wednesday mornings for the next five weeks.

I gained five pounds while I was in NY and weighed in this morning at 148.6. Let's see where five weeks gets me. Maybe I'll even have my body fat hydro tested again after the Open ends.

I will say that I liked my mirror in my New York apartment better.

Finding Something to Love

When I was younger, I hated my legs. I thought they were fucking huge, and they certainly didn't look like the dainty stick straight legs of many of my popular classmates. I remember a soccer player in my 5th grade class telling me he wished he had my legs because I had huge calves like a man. Not really the compliment a 10-year-old girl is looking for.

I got a sweet staph infection when I was in the 8th grade and ended up with some pretty nasty looking scars. I was so embarrassed by them that I wore jeans for an entire summer no matter how hot it was outside. I also remember that I was nervous to "confess" to my boyfriend freshman year that I had been hiding these hideous and disfiguring scars. I still have them but they're more white than purple and I often forget they're there.

Now I think my legs are my best feature. They look fucking awesome and they are huge. I have those muscles that pop out on my thunder thighs and calf muscles too large to fit into most boots. I can back squat 200 pounds. I can do front squats for days. I run a 400m warmup faster than most people can go all out and I always use a 24 inch box for box jumps. I couldn't do any of those things with the legs I wanted when I was younger. And besides all that my legs can do, they're just plain hot.

So in honor of Valentine's Day, I challenge you to think about your body and find something to love.

I've been rocking no pants and jacked legs way before it was cool.

the Natural Grip

I've wanted a pair of Natural Grips for a while, but somehow managed to let myself get talked out of buying "overpriced pieces of tape" in favor of other grips. Fifty dollars worth of grips I never wear later, I stopped listening to well-meaning advice and got myself the only grip that actually protects the part of my hand that rips. Go figure.

Yesterday I did Jackie Rx for the first time. 1000 m row, 50 thrusters with the bar, and 30 pull-ups. No rips, no hot spots, no ugly white blisters under my callouses. 

I have a sweet pair of Shark Blue grips, which were named for the Natural Grip's appearance on Shark Tank. They are now offering mixed combos of colors if having too different colored socks, shoes, gloves is more your style.