Paleo Challenge and the Crossfit Open

It's an exciting month here in the Gabriel household.
I've been training hard and seeing some good gains. Could I train harder? Yes. Do I want to? Yes. What's my deal? Time and coaching. I need someone to actually show me/help me/tell me what to do. Most importantly, I've taken on spearheading CFOT's paleo challenge. 

My nutrition had really fallen by the wayside over the holidays.  I know, I know, everyone's does right? Well, mine really did and I couldn't stop with the little cheats.  I offered to help plan a six week paleo challenge at the gym.  We had 58 people sign up. Amazing participation. We had a great kick-off, great events planned, sponsors, prizes, etc...its going to be fun! I'll post more in the next few weeks.

Next week starts the Crossfit Open.  I signed myself up as I've been hanging out with the competition club on Saturdays and trying to better myself.  I've got no hope of anything, but hope to gain experience competing and meeting games standards in all the movements.  To compete for real I need to do the following:
Improve my clean and jerk ( I can do both fine, just not together)
Pullups (i just suck at them)
Heavy snatches
HSPU (get one)
MU (get one)
improve double unders
rowing more than 250m
These are my goats that I need to work on and are goals for the end of the year.

Not sure what this post is supposed to really be about. I just needed to put this out there and start recording progress. Day 3 of this challenge is MUCH easier than those of the past. That's progress!!

Catch up. Lots of PRs!

Lots of great Wods this past week.  And, I had a streak of 3 lifts, 3 days, and 3 PRs! Also, I am helping out with CFOT's paleo challenge. I built a blog, help set up the rules...sheesh. I year ago I was still 2 pant sizes bigger, stuffing my face with just about everything I could eat. My how I changed in 2011.  2012 is going to be fun. Its off to a great start and February only brings more excitement. The paleo challenge and the CF Open!  Fun times ahead. Here's a log of what I've been up to.


Wednesday 2.01.2012
WOD 1: 5 min AMRAP Snatch @ 85%
I got 26 reps (no misses, not TNG) at 75#.  I think I could have gone heavier, but we were the guinea pings at 0515.  This was just for competition club peeps since we hit 1RM on Saturday.
Felt pretty confident on this move.

WOD 2: 7min AMRAP: 10 Thrusters, 5 burpees.
I got 7 rounds....goal was 1 round a minute and I DID IT!! I didn't wuss out!! Thrusters were light--only 55lbs, but I suck badly at thrusters so this was truly a test for me.


Tuesday 1.31.2012
I had a sucky day. The wod included HSPUs which are just my nemisis and I just get really disappointed in myself when we do them. I just can't seem to make progress on this movement. Not worth recording the intervals. I just sucked and I had a bad attitude.  I showed up and that is half the battle.

Monday 1.30.2012

Wod 1: 1RM Max Squat Clean
New PR at #125

Wod 2:7 min AMRAP, 5 unbroken hang squat clean, 20 DUs  
I got 4 rounds in...1st round was with 75#...failed to load the bar properly. Double unders were touch and go. I have to learn to take my time.

Saturday 1.28.2012
WOD 1: 1RM Snatch.
Hit 90# solidly...I attempted 100, but totally missed. This was fun!!! It's been a LONG time since I did a 1RM snatch.

WOD 2: 9 min AMRAP, 5 squat snatch, 10 T2B.  I was 5 T2Bs short of 5 rounds. I did the squat snatch at 75#. This was brutal, but it was fun!!!

Friday 1.27,2012
1RM Power clean
My long time goal the past 6 months has been to hit a 130# clean.  I've been stuck at 120# forever. I did it!! It was damn ugly, but I did it. I really need to work the getting under the bar, and landing on my heels. Something to keep working on, i want this one bad!!  This completed my 6 week goal trifecta of hitting a +250DL (I hit 255), 2 strict pullups in a row and a #130clean! Go me.  I love mini goals.  I think I need to set another set of 6 week goals.

Monday Intervals and TNG Tuesday

Monday intervals...pullups were going to be my goat on this one and that they were. Rowing was not so bad. i think 1 minute sprints are my max output...anything more and I just suck. I did get 10 pullups in a row on the first round. That's a rare thing.

WOD
5 sets-
15 UNBROKEN pullups, (order of preference is C2B, COVP, then Regular. If you don’t yet have 15 unbroken scale to 10 reps anyhow)
15 feet elevated, thighs off ground, hand release pushups
15 wallball
15 calorie row
2-3 min rest between each Set
Add all 5 sets together and record TOTAL.

Total time was 17:XX.  Intervals were between 3-4 minutes...got slower each round.

Tuesday

WOD
6 Sets
Every 90 seconds
5 Touch and Go
Hang Clean & Jerk 

Loved this fast wod. Worked at 85# which was lighter than I wanted to go, but I worked to eliminated the pause between my clean and jerk.  I was able to do all 6 sets unbroken and didn't pause between clean and the jerk. Had to work hard to get under the bar and get the elbows up! 

Recap of the week

Last week ended up not so great.  I did Fran and was in a world of hurt. Took Tuesday as a rest day. Hit the benchmark on Wednesday of 100 burpees for time. Time was 8:20.  I went at about 85% effort and made sure there were no floppies.  I would love to hit this again for a sub 8:00 time.

Thursday was Jackie. I was feeling a little better and just wanted to get in a move so I warmed up the back, hit a few hundred meters on the rower and a few pullups for a warmup.  
"Jackie"

1000m Row

45 pound Thruster  50 reps

30 pull-ups

Time: 12:43

Thursday night I felt awful and was in bed by 8:30 and I decided to sleep in Friday morning. I slept in Saturday morning too--lazy lazy rest days. I feel bad about not doing anything, but I'm listening to my body which is screaming--REST, SLEEP. So I am.

Ready to hit it hard (and smart) in the box this week.