Can CrossFit Aid Marathon Training?

Since I was awake yesterday at 5 AM, I had time to go through all of the emails I receive and never read. One was from Runner's World and it had an article about adding CrossFit to marathon training.

Read How to Add CrossFit to Marathon Training

Runners are usually strong proponents of running. Crazy right? I'm actually not. Out of all the races I have run, from 5Ks to 50 miles, I have felt best when I focus on high-intensity interval training (HIIT). I am leaner, stronger, and have more stamina from pushing myself through full-body workouts than when I am putting in the miles multiple days a week.

In order to run a marathon, you have to be able to spend that much time on your feet. Your bones needs to be strong enough to pound the pavement for hours and the only way I've found to do that is through weekly long runs. I firmly believe that the best preparation for my 50 mile race was standing at my desk for more than 8 hours a day, but the 50K I ran certainly helped. But that's a weekly long run.

The article recommends that CrossFit lovers follow the schedule below for marathon training: 

Monday: Easy effort run

Tuesday: CrossFit workout 

Wednesday: Easy effort run

Thursday: CrossFit workout 

Friday: Rest or easy effort run

Saturday: Long, slow run 

Sunday: Rest/light recovery work (foam-rolling/flexibility/restorative yoga)

I think that's a ton of filler runs and as sausage lovers know, you want meat not filler. (Speaking of sausages, I had amazing spicy Italian sausage up in New Rochelle on Thursday at the 4th of July BBQ.) If I were to run another marathon, and let's be honest, my retirement from long distance running probably won't last through 2014, I'd follow this training plan:

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday: CrossFit

Wednesday: Soccer or Spinning

Thursday: Yoga 

Friday: CrossFit

Saturday: Long, slow run 

Sunday: 3-5 mile walk, Yoga, or Sitting on the couch watching Y&R

If When I run another ultra, I will definitely continue CrossFit.

I am not a running coach, doctor, or licensed anything so please do not follow any training plan without first consulting your physician. Based on my own experiences, I think that building strength and agility does more to keep me fast and injury-free.

Another option for combining CrossFit and marathon running is CrossFit Endurance. I attended a panel at JackRabbit Sports on the UWS featuring some awesome ultra-runners and Lisa Madden was there. Lisa trains using CrossFit Endurance and she's a badass runner so there must be something to it.

Jumping Rope

So back in the early spring, the 23-year-old would be rambling on about something call double-unders and then he would persist in asking how many double-unders I could do every time we had this conversation. My answer never changed from no. It also took me a while to finally ask what the hell a double-under was and I was like, ohhh, I can jump rope, but yeah, "jumping rope" is not the same as double-unders.

The average person expends way too much energy trying to jump rope. Their jumps look like donkey kicks and they jump when the rope is in the air, forcing them to jump higher to clear the rope as it hits the ground. If you jump right when the rope hits the ground, it takes a lot less effort. These are single-unders. I can do these.

Double-unders require the rope to make two full rotations (hence double-under) for each jump. Woah. Mind blowing. The premise isn't difficult but the execution might as well be brain surgery.

I have watched at least an hour's worth of video on the double-under. These are three of my favorites. I am a huge fan of the second one.

So I haven't been able to do a double-under yet but I did track down my old jump rope and get some practice in on my single-unders. Because my mother is a saint, she came outside in the disgusting humid weather on her own volition to videotape me jumping about.

And yes, that is my sorority softball uniform.

Mid-Morning CrossFit

Today I went to CrossFit at 11:30 AM. I had arrived at work early and intend to stay late so I wanted to get my workout in during a more quiet time of the day. It was super simple to tell everyone where they could find me in case they needed me and then walk take the elevator downstairs.

Don't I look cute in my work clothes?

Just so everyone knows, I only take photos of myself in locker rooms when no one else is around. Just because I feel totally comfortable posting pictures of myself in all states of undress doesn't mean I don't respect other people's privacy. Since no one else was in the locker room with me, I snapped away.

Quick costume change.

The 11:30 AM class is pretty empty, which I loved. Less people means more attention for me!

WOD

STRENGTH

WENDLER'S

Front Squat

Warm Up

5 X 40%

5 X 50%

3 X 60%

Work

3 X 70%

3 X 80%

3 + X 90%

CONDITIONING

60 C2B Pullups for time*

*EMOM including the first minute – 5 Burpee Over-the-Box Jumps 20″ (no touch on top)

What really happened:

I almost took off my foot trying to set up the barbell rack stand. I got up to 73 lbs for the front squat. I love all these percentage things because they in no way apply to me yet. I'll get there because it absolutely kills me not to be good at things. I also don't believe that there's anything I can't do if I simply put the time and effort in.

Conditioning was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I used the little box because let's be honest, I like my shins. While I didn't have an issue with the burpees, I struggled hardcore with the scaled pull-ups for Anthony told me to knock them down to 3. I knew that I needed both the blue and purple bands to do the pull-ups, but unfortunately I was having trouble getting in and out of them. Once Anthony showed me how to climb up the side of the rack to get into the bands, I was cruising. I probably should have gone back to 5 burpees. I finished in 13:36 out of the 15 minute time limit.

post-work-out and pre-shower

I was a sweaty, dripping, chalk covered mess. Taking Selby's advice, I took a really cold shower and that lowered my core temperature enough that I was able to get dressed without immediately sweating through my clothes.

Fighting Post-Fourth Fatness

So it's the Monday after Fourth of July Weekend and chances are you're feeling a little more like Kim Kardashian than Kate Upton.

Just say no to refined carbs!
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An excess of beer, cheeseburgers, and those delightful red, white, and blue cupcakes can wreck havoc on your bikini body even if you intentionally starved yourself maintained a healthy low-calorie diet for the past two weeks in preparation. What should you do to avoid looking like a heifer for the rest of the summer? I'm glad you asked.

1. Put down the hot dog! Stop eating crap immediately. For the next five days you should eat primarily meats and vegetables. Limit the amount of fruit you eat. Don't even think about ordering Chinese. Dairy is not your friend.

2. Put on the tightest workout clothes you own and go for a run. Feeling your thighs rub against each other and seeing your muffin top pop out of your tiny tank top is motivation to commit to clean eating and exercise. Do not wear anything that resembles a muumuu until August. Avoid leggings and other forgiving pants.

This just screams sad and bloated.
I didn't leave for my run until after sunset to beat the heat, hence the headlamp.

3. Shower and moisturize. If you spent as much time at the beach as I did, you will be finding sand in your bathing suit until September and your skin is browner than a coconut. Don't add insult to injury by being fat and scaly.

4. Drink Alka-Seltzer. Drinkable aspirin in seltzer form that helps with indigestion. This is God's gift to binge drinking food lovers everywhere.

DIY Tip: Use clear plastic shoe organizers for your toiletries

You should be back on track by this weekend, provided you don't plan to repeat last weekend's behavior.

Kings Park 15K

So I've been wearing my Kings Park 15K sweatshirt around this weekend because it's red, white, and blue and it occurred to me that I never wrote a post on the race.

Back on March 16, I rolled up to Kings Park to basically pay to do my long run. I had finished the Caumsett 50K two weeks before, my legs were dead, and a "scenic, hilly 9.3 mile run through the beautiful and challenging roads of Kings Park" sounded like a great way to get off my ass.

CrossFit Central LI

CrossFit Central LI, also known as CrossFit Syosset, is 7.3 miles and 15 minutes away from my parents' house. Since we all know how often I go to my parents' house, it was only a matter of time before I would be seeking out a box for weekend use (and every other opportunity I get to escape Manhattan.)

I emailed the owner Chris and he welcomed me to drop-in. I AM OBSESSED.

I love the window reflection shot and it's my blog so deal with it.

On Friday I headed over to Robbins Lane for the 3:15 PM class, got hopelessly lost 17 feet away from the entrance, and drove back to my house to do what anyone would do when they are frustrated, sweating, and missing their workout: eat large quantities of bread with butter. I cooled down, called up Chrysler to complain about my air conditioner not working AGAIN, regrouped and headed back for the 5:15 PM class.

I'm not sure if Jesse or my mom is the worse photographer.
Audrey, when can you start?

I gave myself so much time to find the entrance that I arrived 30 minutes early. Fine by me because I got to see what the WOD would be. The coach, PJ, came over to say hi when the 4:15 class ended and I felt welcomed by everyone right away. This felt much less intimidating than walking into CrossFit Hell's Kitchen. I think I'm just much more comfortable on Long Island in general, but it also helped that the place wasn't packed with really attractive guys. (Not that the folks here aren't attractive, but there were only eight of us in there on account of the holiday weekend.)

never so thrilled to see a building before

Warm Up:
Run 400M, 200M, 100M

WOD:

Amrap in 7 min:
10 Thruster @ 155/115
10 Pull ups

Rest 3 min.

Amrap in 5 min:
12 Thruster @ 115/75
12 Pull ups

Rest 3 min.

Amrap in 3 min:
15 Thruster @ 85/45
15 Pull ups
Complete as many reps in each round as possible.

Round 1: 63 lbs and I made it through 3 reps in the round plus about 6 more thrusters and then I wanted to throw up. And by pull-ups, I mean launching my body around wrapped in 2 green bands. It looked nothing like a pull-up.

Round 2: 53 lbs, 2 reps, no-repped myself every other fake ass pull-up. It was effing hard.

Round 3: 43 lbs, 1 rep.

Obviously I had the time of my life so I went back this morning. I got to meet Chris and I was psyched when I saw Interval Sprints on the website.

loved breaking out the Saucony racing flats for interval sprints

So we started off by running around the building. If you were up at 8 AM this morning in NY, you would know that it was already 80 freaking degrees. Then we did my favorite things ever, which are kettlebell snatches. I used an 8kg kettlebell, although I realized that I shortchanged myself because I used a 10kg the last time I did them. We had 5 minutes to do 100. I had time to spare so I definitely should've used something heavier.

We did four or five rounds of 10 push-ups, 100M sprint, and 10 kettlebell swings. It turns out I have been half-assing my push-ups for years so now I make myself get on the ground for each and every one of them. I just can't get back up.

To finish off the WOD, we sprinted 50M and jogged back ten times. The sprint started every 40 (maybe 45?) seconds so it behooved us to jog back to the starting line if we wanted any type of rest. (Nice use of behoove there, huh? I'm more than just a pretty face.)

As I walked to my car, I found myself saying, "I love CrossFit!" out loud. I get what all the hullabaloo has been about because there was nowhere I wanted to be on a hellishly hot Saturday morning more than that parking lot.

Motivating Others

When I started this blog in 2010, I fully expected it to go the way of Creed's Word document and never be read by anyone besides me. Turns out I do have readers, although I've learned my primary demographic is twenty-something males. Might have something to do with the half-dressed selfies...

Anyway, I absolutely love when people reach out and tell me that In Shape Out of Mind inspired them to work out, try something new, or push themselves past what they thought possible. Sarah posted this to Instagram the other evening:

I am so proud of you Sarah, even if you now hate me for posting this on the Internet! Keep up the good work!

What's less cool is when you find out that the person you slept with for a few months who always acted as if he had no idea you had a blog was actually the person who sent you these messages months before you knew he existed. I knew his name sounded familiar.

WTF is a 25K mile?

Awesome or creepy, I am glad that I am having a positive impact on people and motivating them to push themselves.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July y'all! Independence Day is my FAVORITE holiday and I'm psyched to be heading up to Westchester to celebrate. The beach, grilling, fireworks - all in celebration of the greatest country on Earth - the United States of America!

I couldn't contain my excitement this morning and was awake at 5:33 AM. I hung out in bed until just before 7 and was running by 7:15.

Oyster Bay

Teddy Roosevelt

I obviously had to dress in red, white, and blue for my run. The shorts are Nikes and a real pain to run in because they have spandex shorts built in and those shorts refuse to stay put. The shoes are white and blue Brooks Ghost 4s. The t-shirt is Hanes, boys' size extra-large. It's super old and has shrunken into a crop top. The sunglasses are Knockaround because they are my favorite kind to wear.

Side note, does anyone know how I can get a pair of Knockarounds with the American flag on the sides????

Channeling Donna Martin's wardrobe from the college years.
No bellybutton is safe!

Thank God I entertain myself so much while taking selfies. Someone recently asked me how many selfies I take of myself each day - the answer is selfies any time and all the time. Just imagine how many never make it to this blog.

Stay safe everyone and celebrate the land of the free!

Flywheel Atlanta's Cara on Burning Off the Booze

My amazing friend Anna, who is one of my primary reasons for wanting to move to Atlanta because then I could see her every single day, sent me this blog post written by one of her favorite Flywheel instructors. Anna actually took me to one of Cara's classes when I was in Atlanta in April and she was awesome.

I can take no credit for this post but I wanted to pass it on.

How to Burn Off Those Booze Calories (From a Fitness Expert)

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Weight Loss Wednesday 7.3.13

Today is Weight Loss Wednesday even though the scale says I gained weight. I weigh 138.2 lbs, up from 137.6 lbs last week. I'm not overly concerned because pretty much everything can cause your weight to fluctuate by half a pound.

138.2 lbs
25.9% body fat

I'm just psyched by the progress I've made. If you want to see what a difference 5-10 lbs make, click on the examples below:

• Example A
• Example B
• Example C
• Example D

It's actually pretty shocking.

And I'm wearing jorts to work again today.