CrossFit Open WOD 13.2

The CrossFit Open is well on it's way and 13.2 was no disappointment when it came to the announcement of this WOD.  When I first saw the announcement and heard what the WOD was going to be, I was so excited.  METCONs are what I'm best at because it's moving around a light enough weight that I can throw around easily and it involves a lot of endurance, cardio, and stamina...which are the things I'm best at in CrossFit.  I'm strong...but the three things I just mentioned are my forte.

As I watched Iceland Annie Thorisdottir and Lindsey Valenzuela completely fly through the movements, I thought...this will be a piece of cake!  What I failed to forget is that Annie is a two year CrossFit Games repeat champion and Lindsey has competed and done well at the Games too.  These girls are not only 1,000 times stronger than me, but they're also a lot faster!  My max on push press is 110 lbs, so 75 lbs was 70% of my max.  That's a lot of weight to push press when you think about only doing 5 reps each round for 10 minutes...it gets HEAVY quick!  The deadlifts were a breeze...at first.  75 lbs is super light for me compared to my max and what I do in a normal WOD.  I usually do WODs with 135-155 on the bar.  So, the 75 lb deadlifts were something I was expecting to be easy.  And they were, but after doing box jumps and multiple rounds in 10 minutes, your legs start to get tired.  You're also using your legs to push press the bar up towards the end because you get tired and need the extra push from your legs.  And the box jumps...those were my enemy in this WOD!  I'm usually super fast on them...touch and go, touch and go.  But, I could not get in a rhythm.  The first two rounds I was flying, but after that I think my body just got exhausted.

It was spring break the week of 13.2, and unfortunately, I had woken up on Monday with a stomach bug that had been going around at school the week before.  On Thursday, which is when I did 13.2, I felt better.  But, I could tell that my body was extremely fatigued compared to how I do in most WODs and METCONs.  So, that may have been part of my problem during this WOD.  I've also heard, read, and talked to a lot of people that did step-ups instead of box jumps, which saved a lot of their energy and saved their legs.  Maybe I should have done that!  However, I didn't want to redo the WOD again.  Especially after not feeling so great all week.  But, I wound up getting 7 complete rounds plus 3 push presses.  So, 213 reps total.  I know I could have done better on this WOD, but I'm still pleased with my score!  Bring it on 13.3!

Open WOD 13.2 - 213 reps
Weeks Pregnant - 6

Finally...New Floors!!!!!!!

So...Cody and I have been talking about and wanting new floors pretty much ever since we moved into our house back in 2008.  However, we decided to update everything else first and then do the floors last.  We weren't sure how long we would stay in this house at the time and we didn't want to spend an obscene amount of money on new floors, only for someone else to enjoy.  But, we have wizened up in our old age (totally kidding about the old age) and have decided that our house is absolutely perfect and there is no reason for us to move.  The only reason we could ever see moving out of this house is if we are busting at the seems and growing out of it...which I doubt will ever happen!  It will be five years this summer that we have lived in this house and we have literally updated every single thing, except the floors.  When we first moved in, we updated all the gold fixtures, door knobs, lighting, cabinet knobs and pulls, and anything else that was gold to the oil rubbed bronze.  We also had our fireplace and cabinets repainted.  They were that light oak color, and neither one of us were a big fan.  So, we opted to have a professional come in and sand them down and paint them a chocolate color and the fireplace got painted white.  Then, we had our living room, kitchen, and hallway repainted the next year (thank you Christa Ellis!!!).  The third year we decided to focus on the outside and put in some landscaping in the backyard.  We are now wishing that we would have hired someone to do it.  Cody did a phenomenal job on it, but we have both said since then that it would have probably held up a lot better if someone who really knew what they were doing would have done it.  And...I don't do yard work...so I would forget to water sometimes...oops!!!  The next year, we bought all new stainless appliances and had our countertops redone with granite and the back splash and area in front of the bar done in stone.  This was something that we didn't really plan on doing.  But, we had just replaced our dishwasher because our old one had gone out about six months before Thanksgiving.  And then, our stove went out the week after Thanksgiving break.  Our old stove was one that was set into the cabinets.  So, when we went to pull it out, we had to cut into part of the countertop and bottom of the cabinet where it was set in.  We figured we might as well get a new microwave and fridge and just replace the countertops when we did all that.  So, that's just what we did!  Thankfully, that was all done right before Christmas.  Then, in the spring of that year, we decided to extend our back porch and put a pergola up over the extension.  We bought some wicker outdoor furniture to go under that and then a bar and some bar stools to go up on the original part of the back porch.  I came home one day from work and Cody had bought and installed a flat screen above the bar so that he could watch tv outside while he grilled.  I have to say...that has come in very nice!  I love to go out in the mornings on the weekends, during holidays, and during the summer to drink my coffee and relax with the pups.  We eat dinner out there some too...it's wonderful!!!

So...this year...we really had decided to not do anything.  But, our carpet was really getting disgusting.  We are the third owners of the house and we have three dogs...so it's had some wear and tear.  We happened to go into Lowe's one day and were kinda wandering around when we decided to go look at the flooring.  See, over the summer we had a company that specializes in flooring give us a quote and it was way more than we thought it would be, and way more than we really wanted to spend.  Our next door neighbors had just had Lowe's come in and replace their carpet and it looked awesome and the price was great too.  We wound up picking out some carpet and setting up a time for the carpet master at Lowe's to come out and measure, then give us a quote.  The carpet we picked out was a little nicer than what our neighbors had gotten, so the price was a little more, but not too much for a nicer quality of carpet.  We wanted something that would last a long time, hold up to dogs and humans, be plush and thick, and not show dirt and hair and all that jazz.  When we got the quote back, we went in to sign the paperwork and while Cody was talking to the guy, I decided to go look at the tile.  I hated our tile...and I wanted that replaced just as badly as I wanted new carpet.  I have always wanted to have wood floors.  But let's be real.  They are so expensive and the laminate stuff would not even think about holding up to dogs.  So, I go to look at the tile and Lowe's had just gotten in this beautiful new wood tile flooring.  It's tile that looks like wood.  So, you can clean it just like regular tile and it holds up to anything you could possibly think of.  I held up the tile next to the carpet we chose and it looked beautiful together.  Since we were already there, I asked Cody if we could just see how much it would be to do the tile and carpet all at once.  He agreed and we set-up a time for the tile guy to come out and measure and give us a quote for that.  We figured if we were going to have to move out most of our furniture to do the carpet, it made sense to just have the tile done too.  That way, we only had to be out of our house for one time instead of moving furniture twice and moving out of our house two times.  When we got the quote back, we were pretty pleased with the price.  So, we signed the paperwork for the tile and set-up a date for them to start!

The week before we had the floors done, we began moving out of our house.  We literally had to move every piece of furniture and all the odds and ends and decorative things out of our house.  The only thing that we left inside were the appliances and the clothes in our closet.  We packed up a week's worth of clothes for work and working out, pre-cooked all of our meals for the week, gathered up the dogs, and headed across the street to move in with my parents for a week.  So, picture this.  They have two labs, we have two labs and a boxer, there's three of them (including my brother), and two of us.  There were five dogs and five humans living in a house together for a whole week.  You'd think it would have been a mad house, but it was actually pretty seamless.  We were only there Monday-Thursday night and no one got in anyone's way and the dogs had a continuous play date!  The tile and carpet guys were able to get everything done a day early because we were completely moved out of our house, so they could work as early and stay as late as they wanted/needed to.  So, on that Friday, I took off from work early and came home and started cleaning off everything from all the fine dust that had settled from them breaking off the tile.  They cleaned pretty much everything.  But, I went behind them (cause I'm OCD) and extra deep cleaned everything.  Later that night, Cody and I moved all of our furniture (I cleaned every piece as we moved it in) back in and the next day, I cleaned all the little odds and ends and decorative things and had the entire house put completely back together by Saturday night!  We are IN LOVE with our new floors.  I am so glad that it's done, I am so glad that we did it, and I am even more in love with our house than I ever have been.  Everything is completely updated.  It finally feels like us and it truly makes our house feel like our home.

Here are the before pics...

Precious little helper!!!

The dogs LOVED all the open space!

And here are the AFTER pics!!!

CrossFit Open WOD 13.1

Well...I have officially completed the first WOD of the CrossFit Open.  13.1 did not disappoint.  Every CrossFitter across the world was in complete shock at this WOD.  It tests every aspect of the 10 CrossFit fundamentals.  Which are:

1.  Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance

2.  Stamina

3.  Strength

4.  Flexibility

5.  Agility

6.  Balance

7.  Coordination

8.  Accuracy

9.  Power

10.  Speed

Going into this WOD on Thursday morning, I knew it was going to be a challenge for me.  Snatches are NOT my strong suit.  In fact...they are probably my weakest Olympic lift.  My last max that I did was 85lbs.  So, I knew that if I got through the 20 burpees and onto the 30 snatches at 100lbs...there was probably no way I could do them.

That morning at CrossFit 325, I warmed up really, really good.  Then practiced a few snatches with the PVC pipe, then the empty bar just to make sure that I had my form down.  After that, Jeremy measured while I was standing straight up with my arm fully extended so that he could measure exactly 6 inches above my fingertips.  That would be my target for every single burpee.  If I didn't hit that target...you guessed it...no rep.  And then...it was time for 13.1 to begin.

Jeremy counted off: 3...2...1...GO!  And I was off!  I blew through the first 40 burpees.  Going non-stop and right into the first set of snatches at 45lbs.  I did the first 15 reps unbroken, then took a quick breather and was back at it to complete the last 15 reps.  Then, it was on to the 30 burpees.  I was a little slower on these 30.  I guess you could say I paced myself a little more.  But, I blew through them pretty quick and went unbroken on them as well.  After that, I had to change the weight on my bar to increase to 75lbs.  It took me longer than expected.  I couldn't get the grips off the bar!  After I got my weight changed, I began doing the 30 snatches at 75lbs.  This is where I really slowed down.  I had to do them one at a time.  I kinda felt like this would be my weak spot.  But, I just kept going until that timer went off and the 17 minutes was up.  I got through 24 reps of the 75lb snatches.  I officially completed 124 reps of the 13.1 Open WOD.  Not to bad for my first competing season!!!

I'm pumped for the next 4 WODs.  I have no doubt that they will be just as tough, if not tougher, than 13.1.  But, I'm ready and excited to be apart of the 2013 CrossFit Open!  CrossFit is absolutely amazing...I LOVE it!!!

Open WOD 13.1 - 124 reps
Weeks Pregnant - 5

Officially a CrossFit Affiliate!!!

Elite Fitness and Nutrition is now officially a CrossFit Affiliate!  Which means...the name has changed to CrossFit 325!!!  How exciting is that?!?!?  It is a big deal to become a CrossFit Affiliate and the works have been in progress since June of 2012 for CF325.  There are many things that you must do to become an affiliate, and the headquarters of CrossFit take the process extremely seriously.  Being a part of the CrossFit community is really something that is hard to explain unless you have stepped into a box and experienced it for yourself.  The sense of pride that us CrossFitters feel towards our box, and the sport in general, is truly unexplainable and goes deep into part of who we are.  It is truly amazing to see the changes that CrossFit makes.  Not just in your body, but your eating habits, the way you begin to have an even deeper appreciation for other people, and the pride you feel after you finish each and every WOD.  I am so proud of CF325 and can't wait to see what the future hold for our box!!!

Go check out the website!
http://www.crossfit325.com/

The Fittest Games

Back in January...like the 18th and 19th to be exact...our BFF, Brent Jordan, competed in The Fittest Games in Austin, TX held at CrossFit Central.  This CrossFit competition was not one to take lightly.  There was an Amateur division, Pro division, Masters (40+) division, and Team division.  The difference in the Amateur and Pro division was simply that the Pro's had already competed in Regionals during the CrossFit competition season.  The Amateur's were competitors that had never been to or competed in Regionals...but the WODs were just at brutal and grueling!  The Fittest Games was two days of strenuous competition consisting of a total of 4 WODs and then the Final for the top 10 competitors.  So, basically, 5 WODs for those that were in the top 10 in all 4 divisions.

Brent competed in the Amateur division because he hasn't made it to Regionals...yet.  In fact, the Open starts today and I'm putting my money on going to San Antonio and watching him throwdown at Regionals this year!  Maybe even making it to the Games.  Yeah...he's that good!  I also have to say that I'm putting my money on Cody making it to Regionals this year...he's been in full out Beast Mode in the gym!  He and Brent have been doing the Invictus competition WODs getting ready for the Open so that they are in the best competitive shape they could be in...and they are killing it!  Anyways...back to The Fittest Games!  The four WODs that Brent did were as follows:

Friday, January 18th

WOD 1:

15, 12, 9 (For Time)

Dual KB Shoulder to Overhead - 24 kg Kettlebell

80', 100', 120' Dual Farmer Carry - 140 lbs

WOD 2:

Clean Ladder

Starting at a certain weight and going until failure

165, 175, 185, 195, 205, 215, 225, 235, 245, 255

Saturday, January 19th

WOD 3:

Part A:

2 Minute AMRAP: Pull-Ups

*5 Hand-Release Push-Up penalty everytime and athlete comes off the bar

Then Immediately:

Part B:

5 Rounds for Time:

10 Toes to Bar

10 Burpee to Plate

WOD 4:

"Randy"

75 lb Power Snatch, 75 Reps. For Time

Do these sound hard to you?!?!  They sure as heck do to me!  As we were watching him compete and go through these WODs, we knew how hard these were.  And to do 4 of them in 2 days is tough.  Cody and I went with Brent and Bria to Austin so that we could watch him kick butt and cheer him on.  There were also some other of our friends and members of our box, CrossFit 325, who came to support Brent.  It was amazing to watch him, and the other athletes compete.  The WODs were excruciating, amazing, but so, so tough.  There were different WODs for different divisions...but I'm only telling you about the ones we were focused on watching because Brent was competing!  Oh...I forgot to mention the most important part.  Brent made it to the FINALS!  Are you surprised?!?!?  We were so proud of him!!!  Here's the 5th and Final WOD:

Final - WOD 5:

20 Wall Balls - 30 lb Ball

10 Muscle-Ups

20 KB Swings - 32 kg

10 OH Squats - 135 lbs

20 Single Unders with Weighted Rope

BRENT GOT 2nd!!!!!!!  He is seriously a machine!  It was absolutely amazing to watch him chip away at this last WOD.  He blew threw it and was in full blown Beast Mode!!!



After we left CrossFit Central, it was time to go out to dinner to celebrate Brent's 2nd place victory!!!  We were all starving...so we were in a mad search to find the nearest and yummiest place to eat in Downtown Austin.  We stumbled upon this amazing Irish Pub, Fado and got a seat right away.  The food and drinks were amazing and it was so nice to be celebrating Brent with our amazing friends!  After dinner, we went to this really cool, very Austin, outdoor patio bar.  The entertainment was a group of 4 guys playing retro, throwback music from the 90s.  They remixed everything and had dances to go along with all their songs...it was so fun and they were awesome!  We stayed there for a couple of hours, then headed back to the condo we were staying at in Horseshoe Bay.  On Sunday, we woke up kinda late, had breakfast together, then headed back to Abilene!  I can't wait to watch Brent compete in the Open and then cheer him on at Regionals!!!

Here is the link to all the pics taken from The Fittest Games:
http://b7creative.smugmug.com/CrossFitCentralEvents

Here is the link the The Fittest Games website:
http://thefittestgames.com/