Qualifiers Angst and More Food Journaling

F5! F5! F5! F5!

This weekend's WODS are set to go up on CrossFit Calgary's site today and I'm going to crash their site if I keep my crazy refreshing habit up like this. Getting seriously angsty about it all. I just wish they'd put them up already so I can do a combination of cheer/groan/panic/lose mind/get excited, get over it and then get back to work. Am trying to keep busy with tasks that don't require a lot of thought or concentration but I'm running out of busy work to keep myself occupied. BLARG!!!

On the threat of burpees (actually, I kind of like burpees), here's my food journal from yesterday. It wasn't the best day, nutrition wise but I'll take it.

F5! Nothing.

M1
tuna
mixed fruit (peaches, grapes, melon, pineapple, strawberries) with nuts
cukes, baby tomatoes, red pepper strips

M2
tuna
spinach, baby tomatoes, radishes, red peppers, goat cheese, pecans, rasp. vinaigrette

M3
tuna
mixed fruit (peaches, grapes, melon, pineapple, strawberries) with nuts
cukes, baby tomatoes, red pepper strips

M4 (not really a meal - where was the protein and veg? It was a tasty, though)
Banana
Natty PB

M5 (PWO)
chicken breast
green beans
a couple of dried apricots

M6 (this is where things fell apart)
Natty BP
2 rice cakes
bowl of mixed fruit

Yesterday, I got to try max reps 95lb OHS. I managed 5 and then 7. I want to get good at these puppies. Will definitely be working on them when I get back. Snatches were kind of disappointing in that I'm stuck at 80lbs. I need to practice, practice, practice those puppies to get the movement stuck in my head. I panic when the weight gets up there and my form goes wankey and I end up doing some sort of weird bar hump thing with crazy hip extension and forgetting to shrug.

F5! Nothing.

The metcon after was fun. Tried to do those floor-bouncy style burpees to see if they were faster or easier. Mostly, I just managed to get the front of my shirt dirty but they might have been a smidge quicker. Hands are still healing and my pull ups were kind of goofy as I went 100 percent full on mummy from the wrist down with tape. Will be using as little tape as possible on the weekend.

F5! STILL NOTHING!

*sigh*

2:25
F5! Dang.

3:13
F5! Dang.

3:48
F5! Dang.

4:23
F5! Dang.

4:46
F5! Dang.

8:02 - Still nothing! Felt like a slacker in the gym tonight. 2 k row at 8:21.1 and them some double unders but that was it. It was kind of fun watching everyone else work their buns off. Ha!

Gym Challenge

The gym challenge for the week is to keep a food log. Since I'm leading up to Qualifiers and need to mind my p's and q's nutrition-wise, I might as well do it. These always make for exceedingly boring blog posts. Blah, blah, I ate this. Yadda yadda, too much coffee...

If you get bored, enjoy watching this random youtube video of Canadian comic Jon Lajoie with my apologies


Here goes:

Coffee, two cups? I freaking love coffee. Sweet, sweet nectar of life! And water.

M1
albacore tuna with red pepper tepanade
carrots, cukes, cherry tomatoes and red pepper strips
mixed fruit (frozen, no sugar) with macadamia nuts
water

M2
more tuna
spinach and baby romaine with cherry tomatoes, red peppers, radish, currents, pecans, goat cheese with raspberry vinaigrette
water

M3
the last of my stupid tuna (meh, I miss my chicken but, alas, I was too lazy to cook it)
carrots, cukes, cherry tomatoes and red pepper strips
mixed fruit (frozen, no sugar) with macadamia nuts
water and some more coffee

M4 (PWO and HUNGRY)
macadamia nuts
4 dried apricots

M5
3 eggs scrambled with a bit of gouda
spinach and baby romaine with cherry tomatoes
frozen mixed fruit
water

I might also have some peanut butter. Yes, I know its a lentil. Thoughts on today about the food? Well, it wasn't too, too bad. Perhaps a bit too much cheese and not enough variety with my fruits and veggies (I'm working with no functional plumbing in the kitchen - I've been kind of lazy with the cooking as of late). But, it wasn't horrid, either. I should also probably attempt some type of portion control but right now but I don't want to.

And thanks for sticking through one boring blog post. To thank you, enjoy some quality thoughts on yogurt: the official food of women!



Training is going exceptionally well and I have to say that Aaron is a programming guru. He really put together an amazing program for us to follow. I feel I've learned a lot and have improved way more than I ever would have thought. I'd definitely recommend to anyone interested in training for Qualifiers next year to go for it. You'll be in good hands!

IF shelved/Almost Cave Girl Continues

LOVE this!



Okay, so IF nearly killed me. Or, at least, IF on the same day as Helen nearly killed me. And by nearly killed me, I mean that I sucked most royally at Helen and wanted to die sometime around round two, which is sad. Sad. Sad. Sad. So, now I want to do Helen again only with not having spent a large part of the day not eating food.

I would like to note, however, that I'm not going to give up on IF completely. From all that I've read about it, it sounds like a smart plan that should work, especially considering my aversion to portion control, counting, measuring, logging or bothering with macronutrient ratios. And it works for many CrossFitters who are nine million times more awesome at CrossFit than myself - Caity Matter for one, Robb Wolf another. These are people who DON'T suck at Helen. It has to work, just not the method I chose for myself. Regardless, I am now too close to Qualifiers to continue tinkering with it, obviously incorrectly. I may make an ass out of myself in Calgary in a few weeks, but I will be the best damned ass I can be.

So, I am continuing with the almost cave-girl plan (mmm, cheese) but will be a very well-fed one.

IF Take Two: The Workday...

So, I am IFing at work today and it is a bit of a different experience from doing it on a weekend. I still feel the same way (cold, spazzy) except now I am in public and trying not to seem like an over caffeinated lunatic (not that I am over caffeinated, I am just nicely so). Attempting to put together speeches and organize media calls and whatnot is interesting when one's attention span is roughly equal to that of a bird or a small mammal. I'm having a bit of fun trying to stay on task.

I thought 10:00 a.m. would be a biotch because I always eat a nice meal at that time but it came and went and the habit of eating at a certain time didn't really affect me at all. As a bonus, I have nothing to do at lunch time so I get to blog.

Its still too soon to say what benefits paleo/IF is having on my workouts. I think the real tell will be how I do with the ramped up strength training Aaron has us doing. If I all of a sudden can't keep up with Leah, Kelly and Robin on the squats, deadlifts and shoulder press, I'm going to have to back off or change my approach with the IF despite the fact that its dropping my weight like a stone (good in theory for pull ups, push ups, ring dips, etc so long as strength stays the same or increases) and it feels good. From everything I've read, its supposed to improve times and performance instead of hinder it.

Robb Wolf just posted a compilation of a bunch of his responses on both the main site's message board and also on Performance Menu. Great stuff and definitely worth a read... Check it out! Also got an answer to my question about quinoa (while its a seed, it still has a glycemic load comparable to grains so its a no-go for paleo, however its totally the better choice over wheat). Maybe I'll use it as an occasional post workout treat as I do enjoy it.

As for my adventures in going mostly Cave-Girl, it's been going pretty well! Can't say I'm complaining one iota.

Back to Cave Girl+Cheese

So, I meandered right back to CaveGirl+cheese mode after the fast with nary a hint of unbridled cookie lust or desire to fall face first into chocolate. Instead, it was back to the healthy vittles and I felt great all day. I have to say I had lots of energy and wasn't hungry aside from when it was time to eat. Kinda cool.

I got asked by someone who's new to working out and whatnot if I count calories or just make better choices. And because I am verbose at best and annoying at worst, it got me onto the subject of baby steps. Four years ago, if you would have tossed paleo and intermittent fasting at me, I would have lost my ever lovin' mind. And right now, I have to say it's almost easy.

I see it like a rubber band. You stretch it and stretch it and stretch it but if you stretch it to hard, too fast, it snaps and hurts your finger. But, if you take it slow and gradually add pressure to the band, you can pull it pretty far without any fear of zapping yourself with it.

I would guess everyone has a slightly different rubber band. Some are stretchier and more forgiving than others. For me, I had to take my time to get to the point where I could have a high level of compliance with a program that is essentially very strict. Other people might be able to jump into it no problem. Others might do best on something like The Zone, which for me would spell disaster in about 2.5 seconds (my adventures in extreme calorie counting and macro obsession I'll save for another time). A large part of figuring it all out is trial and error and slowly finding what works best for you, not just in terms of how your body responds, but how you emotionally respond to living that way.

Enough navel gazing. Tonight's workout:

Back squats at 10x45, 5x95, 3x135 and 3x5x150
Deadlifts at 5x95, 5x 135, 5x185 (all with double overhand, didn't need snatch grip!)
Handstands - Crystal helped me out and I didn't piss myself in fear being upside down propped against a wall. PROGRESS!

Heavy MetCon
5 rounds of
5 65lb power snatches (modded down from the prescribed 95lbs)
5 55lb bell swings (yikes!)
5 burpees (yay burpees)

I was the slow poke of the bunch at 10:28. It felt freaking awesome being back in the gym. Deloading week was a bitch, mentally. I needed a CrossFit fix.

Stuff I found awesome today:
Uncle Karl, Advice Columnist
I09's Dollhouse Review
Because birth control is SO. LIKE. CRACK. Or, you know, a shiv.
If Odysseus had a Twitter account

I haven't eaten since supper. And I haven't died!

I got my start following Body for Life, which preaches the six meals a day doctrine. I also dabbled with Cosgrove's Afterburn and the Schuler/Cosgrove spectacularness that is The New Rules of Weightlifting for Women and wholeheartedly heart the awesome nutritional guidance that is Berardi's Precision Nutrition. All promote the eating every two to three hours business as well. And, you know, its SOUND advice. But, its also ingrained in me a petrifying fear of going more than a few hours without noshing down a lovely meal of lean protein, veggies, fruit and nuts.

Well, I haven't eaten since yesterday at 7:00p.m. It's now 10:00a.m. and I have not died.

I actually don't even feel bad. I kind of feel... good?

Weird!

So, the plan is to continue not eating every two to three hours until supper this evening, when I'll go back to my normal paleo+cheese eating habits.

Also, I stumbled across this the other day. BRILLIANT! Actually, her entire blog is fantastic. I've whiled away a good chunk of my weekend poking through her posts. Anyhoodle, my Fuck Off list includes coffee, goat cheese and natural peanut butter.

1:00 p.m. Feeling a wee bit peckish but otherwise okay. Kind of like I'd enjoy a handful of macadamia nuts. Filled with spaz energy akin to being a wee bit over-caffeinated.

2:00 p.m. Tummy growling. Cold. Otherwise, fine.

4:00 - Decided to break fast. Had some macadamia nuts. We're off for meat and veggies at a restaurant somewhere.

7:00 - Just got back from The Abbey. I had seared halibut and scallops on a bed of green apple, red peppers and mixed baby greens. It was fabulous and I feel great! I definitely think I will give intermittent fasting another attempt sometime this week, likely Wednesday or Thursday.

So, no IF today

I thought about the whole IF thing and think it might be a stupid plan to attempt my first fast when I am also recovering from a flu. So, I'm putting the whole IF think on hold until next week. It also gives me some time to research it a but better.

Inititially, I was thinking the plan would be 3 on 1 off, much like the WOD schedule I've been doing (and will stick with after Qualifiers) with my IF day starting after supper after my last WOD and ending with supper on my rest day. So, basically, there would be no day that I go completely without food and I will be able to have a full meal after each WOD to aid in recovery with the day I have less energy expenditure required being the day of the fast.

And then I read this:

"In fact, I’d bet that in an evolutionary perspective, exercising in a fasted state is much more natural than exercising in the presence of pre-workout shakes and BCAAs and other such things. Consider that it’s unlikely Ug was up looking for a wildebeest after just chowing down on flame-broiled emu. It’s more likely that Ug ate his emu, slept for awhile, ate some more emu perhaps, and when the food was gone and hunger struck, Ug got himself up and went back out looking for dinner."

Dude has a point. So, more research is needed.

As for what I'm already doing... Operation Mostly Cave Girl continues to go swimmingly and deloading week has been welcomed whole heartedly by my shoulders. Right now I'm sitting down to a fucking awesome salad made with spinach, organic greens, roast chicken, tomatoes, cukes, peppers, nuts, currents and goat cheese with an apple. Yumtacular! Tonight, I am going to rescue the barbeque from the snow bank and do us up some meat, veggie and fruit kebabs (I'm thinking chicken, pineapple, tomato, red pepper and mushrooms in a coconut pine apple glaze. Dang, that makes me drool just contemplating its awesomeness.

Mostly Cave Girl Day Three

So, I'm day three into my attempt at going only mostly cave girl. So far, so good. We even went out to a restaurant last night and managed to stick to the plan (bison, roasted veggies, spinach and mushrooms...mmmm). My food options are basically are if it can be hunted or fished and killed or grew up out of the ground, I will eat it. This is mixed with some nuts and seeds, which are paleo compliant and... cheese because, dang, I LOVE cheese. Yes, cheese is a "no-no" apparently because it is highly acidic. I've been sticking to just using them to add a bit more flavour (goat cheese on my salad, a tbsp of feta mixed into some spinach.

Of course, options are limited due to the lack of functional plumbing in our kitchen keeping us from really wanting to clean dishes. Oh, yeah, in addition to going to the cert, training for qualifiers and the nuttiness that is The Office, I am also gutting my basement and redoing it. Then we will be gutting and redoing our second floor with some modifications to the half story as well. So far, its meant a lot of pre-cooked shrimp rings and raw veggies and salads. I shall not emulate Kramer and shower with my pots and pans. Sorry, but no.

After this evening's supper, I am going to give intermittent fasting a shot until lunch time tomorrow. Bascially, it's only skipping three of my 5-6 meals. I'll survive. But, no, I am not giving up the dark roast in the a.m.

No idea if its going to make a significant difference in the workouts or not as of yet because, well, I'm sick with the flu and its deloading week so I've been a forced gym slacker.

Uhg, I think my basement dude is smoking. I can smell it amidst the other bad odors of old dirt, crumbled basement and dirty dishes. Despite the fact that I feel like kaka, I think I'm going to escape my sty-like hovel and make for The Office. Ya gotta love renos...

Okay, now basement dude is singing along with The Doors on the radio. The day is improving! And now he is grunting to Thunderstruck. Awesome! I don't think they know I'm home. Oh, please, please, please let him break out some falsetto screaming.