No motivation

I haven't been keeping up with Crossfit or Crossfit Endurance the past few days - I simply haven't had the motivation. Luckily we have a local 1/2 marathon fun run this weekend (Beaver Creek Slide 3.5 mi & 1/2 marathon walk/run), so I've been using it as my justification to "go easy." I'm still working out, just not the super intense Crossfit workouts.

Tues
Strictly Strength class
This week's routine: power out, slow release (lift 1, hold 1, release 6) - 8 reps
After once around, we had time for 8 reps of lift 2, release 2

Wed
Cycling class

Ain't she cute?!

I love this picture! My friend & neighbor, Jessica, has a dog that gets along well with Gidget & on occasion, we'll have "doggy playdates." This particular picture was taken when Gidget spent the afternoon at Clipper's house last summer. She's always been a sucker for water! This is probably one of my favorite pictures of her. :)

Sat
"Filthy Fifty" - This wiped me out! Took almost 50 min
50 box jumps (substituted stairs)
50 jumping pullups
50 db swings (20#)
50 walking lunges
50 knees to elbows
50 push press (25#)
50 back ext
50 thrusters (20#)
50 pushups (25 regular, 25 assisted; supposed to be burpees - just didn't have it in me)
50 tuck jumps

Sun
4.5 mi trail run w/Steve & the pups

Mon
Cycling class

Just kidding...

Mother Nature handed it to us this week...80 degrees & beautiful on Wednesday, 40 degrees & snowing on Thursday. Go figure. Welcome to Spring in the mountain region. *Sigh*

Wed
Bike to work
Bike to Y
3-3-3-3-3 Back squats
(95#-105#-105#-115#-115#)
Cycling class
Enjoyed a beautiful Earth Day celebration in Kendrick Park, including a delicious BBQ

Thurs
2X Run 800 M, 30 dumbbell swings (25#), 30 jumping pull-ups
I wanted to do 3 rounds, but the treadmill was being used so for the last round I did 50 db swings & 30 jumping rounds

Fri
Cycling class (no biking to work in the snow...)

Nice weather = Sanity

The "spring fever" was at an all time high when the weather finally broke & we received sun & warmth. Thank you, Mother Nature, it's about damn time.

Sun
8 mi run (I was crazy enough to run it in town. Painful. I was more tired after an 8 mi road run than a 9.5 mi trail run. Go figure. Trail running = WONDERFUL. Give me trails any day)

Mon
Bike to work
Bike to Y
Cycling class
Bike home
Total miles road biking = 8.5
Total cycling class miles = ~6.5
Needless to say, I was tired by the end of the day

Tues
REST REST REST

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a...running skirt?!?

I've read quite a bit about running skirts & liked the idea. I'm constantly tugging at shorts as they ride up my thighs & honestly, it can be VERY annoying (& draining). Most running skirts come with compression shorts underneath & I tried a pair, but the shorts rode up. I stumbled upon skirts that have spankies underneath instead of compression shorts. I tried a pair of the "spanky" skirt & LOVE IT. The spankies are like underwear, except slightly more coverage (more like a boy-short bottom). While it's taken a bit to get used to the feeling - the first few runs it felt like my bum was hanging out, but it's only because more the skirt is less constricting than shorts - I highly recommend the running skirt. I feel cute AND badass. :) Skirt pictured below...

I had to include a picture of my dog, the mud puddle lover. We went on a trail run at Acme & she found the one & only mud puddle to roll around in (in reality, she's a water lover & she was hot so the mud puddle was her only option, but seriously...). Luckily we took them to the Tongue River after the run & she washed off the mud. Crazy dog.

Sat

3.6 mi trail run (including 5X ~0.10 mi uphill & downhill repeats...very very steep hill)

Skirts given the best reviews: www.skirtgoddess.com (I bought the Inspiration skirt), www.runningskirts.com, www.skirtsports.com (I found a $10 skirt in their outlet store & it's on the way to my front door)

Good for her!

I'm so happy for Susan Boyle. It made me sad to see how people treated her before she sang - seeing & hearing the audience snickering made me cringe. Watching the video really stuck with me - I hope I don't judge people so quickly & in the future, I hope I think a bit harder before assuming. The very best part was hearing her belt the song & seeing the look of shock from everyone. Yay Susan Boyle, breaking down stereotypes & barriers!

Wed
5 X 95# deadlift, 12 reps
3 X 45 hand power clean, 5 reps (practicing form)
Cycling class

Thurs
3 X Run 400 M
25 # kettlebell (dumbbell) swing, 21 reps
12 pullups

Fri
100 squats, 5 pushups, 75 squats, 10 pushups, 50 squats, 15 pushups, 25 squats
Run to & from the Y (from Steve's house - ~0.75 mi)
Cycling class

Is it Spring yet?!?

Apparently Mother Nature has decided to throw a wrench into things (as per the norm for WY in April). We've been teased with several gorgeous days, only to have a winter storm roll in this week. *Sigh*

Mon
21-15-9, Box jumps & pullups
Cycling class

Tues
0.5 mi wu
(90 second ladder): 90 s on, 1 min off, 90 s on, 45 s off, 90 s on, 30 s off, 90 s on, 15 s off, 90 s on, 30 s off, 90 s on, 45 s off, 90 s on
~1 mi cd (Total: 3 mi)
Wall sits (while teaching my strength training class - building up the quads for Big Horn Trail Run & heavy downhill!)

Workouts

Thurs
Rest day. My muscles were extremely tired from previous workouts & I think I was still recovering from the stomach bug

Fri
Bike to & from work (FUN!)
3 mi run

Sat
9.5 mi trail run w/Steve & Georgia

Sun
2X: 100 wall ball throws, 10 ft target (substitute 5 lb rice bag for ball; throw "ball" up to set target, catch "ball" & squat, while standing up throw ball up to target. Rinse & repeat)
50 dips
50 squats
50 push ups

More pictures...

Very sleepy dogs

"Artistic" picture of some of the many bottles from 1st Nectar of the Gods (Beer) Tasting

Group picture of all beer tasting attendees...notice the great representation of green

The full get-up of my St. Patty's Day fun run costume. If you look closely, you'll see I went so far as to spray paint my running shoes green...now that's dedication!

Adventures

My Christmas present from Steve was a new bike & I love it! I decided on a mountain bike (Specialized Myka), as I'll be using it for commuting in town as well as trail riding. As the weather warms up, we've been able to enjoy some trails not far from town. The trails are in the old town of Acme, once a booming coal mining town about 15 miles outside Sheridan. The area is more desert-like with few trees, but great trails created by cattle, deer, and antelope. Here are a few pictures from bike rides and runs:

According to what we've read, this area has held several mining "towns." This cemetery supposedly belonged to the town of Monarch with headstones dating back to the late 1800's & early 1900's. I've seen another cemetery in a different area & believe it is from the town of Acme; some day I'd like to venture over to check it out. Something hauntingly interesting about old cemeteries.

Several areas have these deep depressions. I call it "crater land" & had the fantastical idea they were created by meteors before the area was settled...but it turns out they're created from the ground settling into the old mines. Still pretty cool to see...

An old bridge over the Tongue River. On the far left you can see the old Acme coal mining building.

Steve enjoying the day

My new bike! Ain't she purty??

Dream On

2008 Sheridan County Rodeo "Boots & Spurs" 5k

We dressed up like American Gladiators. We're awesome.

Me ("Thunder Chicken"), Kelly ("Viper"), Libby ("Liberator"), Georgia ("Bone Digger"), Pepper ("Methane")

2009 Sheridan Jaycees St. Patty's Day "Run Til You're Green" Fun Run

Me, Georgia, Libby, Pepper

I'm seeing a recurring pattern... And we've already decided costumes for this summer's rodeo 5K.

One of my (many) dreams: Gore-Tex TransRockies Run. Any takers? I've set the goal to run it no later than 2012. :)

Tues - feeling better, but the intestines were none-to-happy with the bouncing
1 mi run w/Gidget

Wed - Felt FANTASTIC!

5K

100 ft walking lunges, 21 assisted p/ups (pull-ups)

100 ft walking lunges, 18 "

100 ft walking lunges, 15 "

25 GH s/ups (glute-ham sit-ups)

Stomach bug = Mother Nature's crash diet?

Score: Bad Party Food = 1, Christina = 0

Saturday night was a fantastic night of a friend's going away party & playing Rock Band (game similar to Guitar Hero) at another friend's house until the wee hours of the morning. Sunday morning, awoke to beautiful weather and an impromptu cross-country ski trip for the day. On the way up the mountain, the fun began. I won't go into gruesome details, but let's just say something I ate on Saturday night put me down & out for the count. My GI tract reared a very ugly head. I was at work for only two hours on Monday morning before I cried uncle & spent the rest of the day in the safe confines of my home (more specifically, my couch). My previous encounter with a stomach bug gave me the wisdom to quickly realize my only hope was to lay off solid foods. Since Sunday afternoon, my only intake has been juice & broth with noodles. Much to my surprise, I never felt hungry. The human body is an amazing machine. Although I'm constantly battling the annoying effects of hypoglycemia (which does not allow me to go more than a few hours without nourishment), my stomach was smart enough to send my brain a very loud & clear message: Listen up homie, lay off the hunger pangs. If I receive solid food, I'm going to send you into a world of SERIOUS hurt. And just like that, my quick-to-catch-on brain stopped requesting food. Thank goodness...that would have been an ugly cycle.

As of this morning, I have yet to eat solid food. I'm feeling 100X better, but I'm not about to overload my GI tract & be sent back through "GI Tract Torture 101". Baby steps. Out of curiousity, I weighed myself this morning to see the effects - down about 2.5 lbs. I have been attempting to trim down a few pounds (don't freak out, just like everyone else I put on some "winter padding"), but I would NOT recommend a stomach bug as the course of action for weight loss. The cramps felt like someone stabbing me in the stomach with a hot poker. Yuck. (In reality, when you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode & will begin to STORE fat to save itself, not to mention slow your metabolism.)

Needless to say, my workouts were derailed.

Friday
1 mi wu (warm-up)
4X 400 M run, 40# OHS (overhead squats)
Cycling class

Saturday
Tweaked something in my knee during OHS, time to take it easy (update: knee is back to normal, must work on OHS form)
30 min elliptical
10 min rower

Sunday
HOLY HELL STOMACH PAIN (code for "no workout")
While I managed to cross-country ski, I didn't attempt to turn it into a workout. I needed as much blood working on my GI tract as possible, I was not about to divert the blood to my legs.

Monday
I'd like to think I'm smart enough to stay away from a workout when the only sustenance I've had is juice & broth. Yes, yes I am.

Blog it & log it

As you can see, I have yet to post St. Paddy's Day beer tasting pictures. I only managed two snaps & am awaiting pictures from friends better at bringing out their cameras & actually taking pictures. In the meantime, I've posted two videos taken on my cell phone of the dogs & their snow antics. The top video is of Gidget when I took her on a walk on the bike path behind my house - it's quiet enough I can usually let her off leash & she can run around all she wants. Her favorite part of snow: burying her face deep down as if a small mouse is taunting her. The bottom video is of Brewer & Gidget entertaining themselves with a stick.

I've decided to begin using my blog as a workout log. I like to keep track of my workouts but find it difficult to write down my workouts on a regular basis. I would also like to blog more often. Thus, combine the two! I will be forced to blog more often & posting the workouts will keep me focused. No excuses when everyone & their mother can see your progress. To play catch-up, here's a quick rundown of this past week:

-Sunday: Thanks to the indoor gym at Casa Ramirez, Steve & I managed a workout before leaving the Black Hills to head home after a weekend of skiing. ~25 min on elliptical, ~20 min on stationary bike, creating my own "spinning class"

-Monday: SNOW DAY! But, ladies & gents, this did not stop my desire to workout. :) I created my own Crossfit workout: 100 step-ups using 10# db (dumbells) on 14 in. step (50 ea leg), 50 10# db swings, 50 walking lunges, 50 situps, 5o pushups, 50 supermen

-Tuesday: 3.6 mi run w/Gidget (snow one day, beautiful weather the next...welcome to WY), Strength training class (I teach this class but will also do the routine with the class), "endurance" 20 reps/machine

-Wednesday: Crossfit: 5X 30 GH (glute-ham situps), 25 back extensions (substituted GH situps on Swiss ball & supermen for back ext); ~10 min on rower; Cycling class

-Thursday: Much needed REST

-Friday (tentative): Crossfit: 5X Run 400M, 15 OH squats (overhead squats - # to be determined); Cycling class (not tentative...)

Future posts shouldn't be as lengthy - I hope to post, at a minimum, every 2-3 days (every day would be ideal).

Have a wonderful weekend ya'll!