Stress or Hibernation?

WOD:
400m run
40 air squat
Time: 16:15

Nice WOD today. I was so happy that my hamstring did not bother me a bit. Clearly, the rest has been good. Can't wait for jello legs in the am.

Stress and Hibernation
The last month has not been easy and I can feel it physically. It is month 14 without Chip, new job, prepping for Germany, lawsuit crap hanging out there, plus nagging injuries. Oh, and it is fall.

Fall has always meant weight gain for me. It is like putting on puffy winter coat. It starts in October, peaks in February, then when my clothes don't fit I get really mad, workout like crazy and eat 1200 calories a day until summer clothes fit. Sigh. It is repeating itself. Why is is happening again? Stress or Hibernation?

I know that stress can causing bloating and increased weight gain around your middle due to increased cortisol levels. Stress and depression can screw with your hormones. Stress makes me eat more. I swear thought I haven't eaten myself 5-7lbs heavier in 6 weeks. My stress levels are really lower than they have been in years...it just different kinds of stress now. Do I feel like crap because of stress? Or am I a bear?

Bears eat a ton then hibernate through the winter. Being from the midwest and growing up with bitter cold winters until I moved here in 2001, I swear I might have hibernation tendencies. My body just wants to put on that puffy layer.

I know if you've read this far, you're thinking. "she's crazy". Yea, but you don't suck in your stomach all day so your clothes fit, that size 6 dress is still hanging in the closet, worn once, since it doesn't fit anymore, my jeans that I thought would be falling off me this winter are all kinds of tight in the waist...

Enough wining here now--this does not get easier. I'm moving to Germany and will be faced with yummy pasteries and bread, beer, and more beer. CARBS. No CFOT. No running buddies. Self-motivation and wise food choices are not strenghts of mine. So what's a girl to do?
Here is the plan:
Food diary
No dairy for 2 weeks (after I eat most of the perishable diary in the fridge)
Limit carbs to 100-120 grams per day
veggies
veggies
sleep
hit as many metcons as possible

Any other suggestions??

Jerk!

WOD:
1 rep max Jerks
Top load; 95, failed at 110 twice
This was a 20#PR!!! See first attempt here:
http://erinsadventures21.blogspot.com/2009/08/jerky-jerks.html

I wanted to attack tonight's WOD with energy and really nail the form. Liz and Christy were stacking on the weights fast and in round one, I failed miserably. I went to a different bar to work the 45 bar for form. Added 20 lbs and Andrea saw I was really struggling with the whole get under the bar, hip action, etc. It was UGLY. I said, 'help me'. She asked if I want to know the secret about doing the Jerk. I said YES!

I won't give it away, but lets just say it involved a frenzy of strict press and push press, then viola`. There came the jerk! Super moto from Andrea and Chris. All it took was someone screaming at me! :) Once I got that I did it at 85#, then hit a super solid 95#. And I split it totally naturally without thinking about it. Elbows locked out, core tight. I made the bar weightless. What a feeling. Now to just figure out how to do it again.

I wanted to be ambitous so I threw on 15 more pounds...failed at 110# twice. Stripped to #95 and did one more good one. Oh well, I got my form down and went for it! I will put 100# overhead next time!

Wicked WOD

WOD:
10 rounds
3 cleans (70)
5 L-sit pullups (negatives)
7 ring dips (floss)
Time: 28:30

This was the marathon of all crossfit WOD's. 10 rounds?!? 10! What was Jerry thinking?
I was feeling pretty good after the 10 miler and a short metcon WOD yesterday so I was ready to attack this, until I saw 10 rounds.

I warmed up the clean, thought about doing the Pack weight for women of 85#, did 2 reps in warmup and knew that there was no way I could do 30 of these. By round 5, all warm, I probably could have done 85#. But given that my true 1 rep max was 95#... I guess it is good to just work on form which felt decent today. Form improvements=progress too.

The l-sit negative pull ups were brutal. bottom line. Nothing else to say but I don't like these.
I did every set of dips broken into 5, then 2 with the floss. Hopefully still on track for an unassisted by Christmas.

Looking forward to the Jerk workout tomorrow, but will have to do this tomorrow night...the day got away from me.

Army 10 Miler

Today was the Army 10 miler. The last big race of the season. Due to all my pulled muscles and lack of focused training beyond crossfit, I was not expecting greatness today. In January, one of the fitness goals I set was to run a 10miler sub 1:30. I ran the 2008 Annapolis 10 Miler in 1:30:36 just 9 months after my ACL reconstruction surgery so I knew this goal was attainable.

Today I finished officially 1:30:06 (my watch said 1:30:00). Either way, I beat my previous PR by 30 seconds or so. In terms of PR's in road racing, this isn't too shabby. Considering I've barely run in about three weeks, and my pulled hamstring/gluts, this was a HUGE success in my book.

My strategy today was to run a negative split...slower on the first half, faster on the back half. I totally succeeded in that. The first 5 miles blew by at a nice easy pace--the weather was absolutely gorgeous and I had Chris as a running buddy! At the turnaround on constitution aboutt mile 5.5 I decided to pick it up. . I haven't felt this strong in a race since last fall. It felt really good! Mile 8.5 is killer up the HOV lane of the 14th Street bridge, but I powered through. I trampled a few runners in the last 200m because they were taking their sweet time, but really, I didn't even care! You're supposed to sprint to the finish people!!

It was a great race and I have to give a shout out to Nikki, Michelle, and Brad who completed their first 10 milers!