March 17 – Day 1

Well, the workout equipment looks like I should be able to do whatever I need to, but where are the people??

CrossFit from home is NOT the same….I need to go outside when I get up – get myself to the gym — see all the great people I have met over the last few months….how will I ever make it through this and how will I really get myself to keep doing this??? 

Warm-up – EMOM 9:00
Minute 1: Bike
Minute 2: push-up to down dog, pause :03 in down dog position
Minute 3: plate overhead reverse lunges (tried first rounds with db but then other rounds without)

Upper Body Strength
Every 3 mom for 12:00 (4 sets)

5 DB shoulder press – 10 lb set
15 DB Push-ups
:02 lower, fast up, :02 top fast down

Accomplished – after 1st set had to do push-ups on my knees

Conditioning – EMOM x 12
:40 mx 10m shuttle run
:40 wall facing shoulder taps (I scaled to plank shoulder taps)
:40 DB bear crawl (I tried with DB for 1st set – too hard went to regular bear crawl)

Accomplished – could only do 8 sets

Cool Down – 2 mins on bike

Lots of issues doing it by myself – need music – need timing app on my iPad so clock is bigger — better yet, I need to get iPad connected with apple TV to big screen so I can see the workout and clock on the screen — need someone yelling encouragement – I quit after 8 sets on conditioning and I’m pretty sure if I had been at the gym Matt would have been yelling – keep working, work hard, almost there — I would have kept going. Being alone,  my self said — that was hard enough – 8 will be fine….

Help! – how am I going to make it through doing this at home….on the positive side – I was dripping sweat so at least I know I was working hard…. 

Guess another positive….I’ve always wanted to write a book…after I started CrossFit I came up with a great title and only have a few paragraphs written….well, I feel like I have time to sit and reflect when I’m done with this workout today…so I’m just writing out my thoughts…I think I’ll look for perhaps a blogging platform that I can use so I can track everything there….and then taking parts of every mornings activities and thoughts…maybe I’ll get a book written 🙂

Got up as normal at 4:45 a.m. got ready and headed to the gym to begin my 5:30 workout. Before we began class, Matt again told us he had not yet heard anything about the governor closing them down but he expected it would probably be soon. So, if/when that happens, he and Alicia will do whatever needed to help you continue your fitness. They will check-out equipment if you need it, whatever.

We then began the workout and I felt really good. Well, of course, it is a Monday. I almost always feel ok on a Monday. My body has had a little time to rest.
(Sorry somehow I didn’t write today’s workout down.)

Class ended at 6:30 a.m. and headed home to shower and begin my work day. I went to school (I can still go in to work) and started to catch-up on things. Around 3:00 p.m. I heard on the radio that the governor had signed an executive order closing all gyms and fitness centers. WHAT?? NOW WHAT??? WHAT WILL I DO??  Sure enough…I checked my phone and there was a message from Matt and Alicia stating that they would be closing the gym at 3:00 p.m. as ordered. However, they would be at the gym for you to borrow equipment from until 5:00 p.m. IT IS TRUE…NOW WHAT??? WHAT WILL I DO?? I have been doing so well. How in the world will I continue to workout without anyone? Needless to say, I was crushed…so sad that I had been doing so well, going 5 days a week. Not giving up, how in the world would I continue this?

Mike Roberts told me I could borrow whatever I needed to from the workout room at school. I went down and took a few pictures of what is there so I could go to the gym and talk to Matt and figure out what I needed and how I was going to do this.

Went home, went to the chiropractor, and then Grace and I went to the gym. I told Matt and Alicia how very sad I was about this and I’m not sure how I’m going to do this? Matt said not to worry he was going to come up with something just keep working and we would hear from him soon.

I reviewed the equipment I have and have available with Matt – stretchy bands, PVC pipe, Abmat, 10lb wall ball, jump rope, exercise bike and then whatever dumbbells he thinks I need as well as borrow some rings as I really like doing ring rows. Matt suggested I go pick up the box stepper and dumbbells (sets of 10lb, 15, and 25 lbs.) Ok, but I did question the 25lb set as I have never even used those at the gym. However, he did have a point that I can lift that much and more with the barbell.

Ok…I am sure you are wondering WHY I have all this exercise equipment if I didn’t exercise? Yes, I know…crazy. Well, actually for Christmas I ended up with a number of Amazon gift cards. I decided I was going to wait and purchase things I wanted instead of the things we always need around here. I started looking and decided I needed the stretchy bands, Abmat and wall ball as those would be good to have at home since there are many simple exercises that can be done with them and besides, I actually like using those things.

I was now all set with everything I might need but the question remains…how in the world will I do CrossFit myself? I will never work as hard doing these workouts myself. But I guess I’ll have to try…

Workout
AMRAP 14:00
0:30 double dumbbell overhead holds (10 lb set)
15 dumbbell floor press
7 dumbbell power cleans

I ended up doing 5 rounds so I guess for me that is pretty good.

I am actually at the point where I go home and write down what I did! My kids have tried telling me from the start to record what I do because it will be great later to look back and see how far I’ve gotten.

Oh, and what a great day today…Sonja brought a mimosa bar and donuts to celebrate her birthday! Hope you have a great birthday this weekend Sonja!

Guess this is all for now….(sorry if you get sick of reading about it)

I LOVED that Victoria surprised me and came home for a month! Wonderful surprise on December 7th. Since she was going to be home she asked if I would go to CrossFit with her. I told her that my back hurt and I needed to see the chiropractor before I did anything. (I didn’t tell her I was having flashbacks to July when I couldn’t sit down for days. What was she trying to do to me?)

Well, Monday, December 9 she went to the local CrossFit Gym – CrossFit Timoro to attend their noon class. She met Matt and Alicia and told them she was home and was going to try to get her mom to come to the 5:30 a.m. class. So they would see her again tomorrow either 5:30 a.m. or noon.

That evening, she told me about the gym and how nice all the people were and she really liked Matt and Alicia. She was sure I would like them and all the people that go. Heck she was surprised some people knew her! One person asked if she had attended Mary Randall Preschool. She was sure I would probably know people there.

She asked if I would go to the 5:30 a.m. class. I told her I didn’t think it would work because I need to be to work between 7:15 and 7:30 and that would never work with shower schedule for everyone else. She said she would tell her dad he needed to be out of the shower by 630 because I needed to get in. She also informed me that I still get up early (even if I don’t have to) and then I sit and don’t really do anything before I have to go to work. So there really is no reason why I can’t go to the 5:30 a.m. class and she would get up and go with me.

Ok….why do kids have to point out the facts and manipulate you in to exercising? Really, I have not had time to exercise, it doesn’t work, we are so busy all the time. So why does Victoria have to come home and point out that I really don’t do anything in the morning but waste time? Why does she have to tell me there is no reason why I can’t attend a 5:30 a.m. exercise class? Really, she’s going to get me to go pay to exercise. Ok…whatever, I’ll give it a try and at least go while she’s home. We can spend time together.

December 10th, 5:30 a.m. we show up at the CrossFit Timoro facility. Oh, did I mention the gym is located like two or three minutes from my house? Matt was happy to see Victoria return…and with her mom. I completed the forms and let him know that I really do not exercise so I will probably die. He assured me I would be fine.

We began the class and everyone was very friendly. I had no clue what any of the terminology meant…squats, front rack, deadlift, banded oblique twists. Matt was very good at explaining things and showing how to do things (he stresses how to do things correctly). Once he got the warm-up started, he would tell me how he wanted me to do each thing. He had a scale for everything.

The hour class went by very quickly and I told Victoria that I would go everyday with her while she was home.

So the journey began….slowly…learning terminology, using PVC pipe and a naked barbell, complete modification on everything I did. I recall day two having to jumprope. I said to myself, “I used to love to jumprope. I could jump rope for hours. I could even jump rope when I was 9 months pregnant for my fourth child.”  To discover I could no longer jumprope not even one time – this was terrible, really?? I always thought jump roping was easy.  So now a scale for even a simple jumprope activity – jumping without a rope. Thought I was going to die from that too, but I guess you have to start somewhere and maybe someday I’ll actually be able to jump rope again.

I’m not sure a 50 year old is cut out to begin exercising on a regular basis. Really…the pain in my legs and my knees…what am I doing to myself?

Ok, I guess I should give you the background story of CrossFit and how somehow it has become part of my daily life.

First, for those who know me, I definitely did not search it out. I definitely am not and never have been the person who was going to jump at going to an exercise class, especially if you have to pay money. That’s crazy! If I really want to exercise I can do that at home. As a matter of fact, sometimes I do exercise – go for walks, use the WiiFit, or go for a bike ride (ok, not often, maybe rarely – I am just “too busy” to fit in anything else).

Last jump back to July… the kids and I were in Georgia visiting Victoria (my oldest daughter). She had joined a CrossFit gym and had decided that on the 4th we were doing family day at CrossFit. We were all going…Victoria, Noah, Grace, Olivia, and their mom (I guess that’s me).  Grace and Olivia had been going to class with her everyday that week. Noah was arriving on the 3rd  for the long weekend and so she thought it would be a great family activity. So, I agreed. I’m game for anything, especially when I know it’s a one time deal.

Off to CrossFit we went for like the 8:00 a.m. class. Keep in mind, we were in Atlanta, Georgia in July and boy was it hot! We showed up and there were quite a few people there. Victoria introduced us to people and to the coach. Everyone was very nice, friendly and helpful. It was a nice environment.

We began with the warm-up, not too bad outside in front of the gym, in a big circle doing (or trying to do) exercises such as jumping jacks, butt kickers, supposedly simple warm-up things. I have to admit, I am DEFINITELY too old and too fat for this kind of thing. I’m pretty sure my kids thought it would be funny to try to kill their mom with this exercise thing. What am I doing?? How did I get them to talk me into this?

Completed the warm-up, went inside to learn about the work-out. It was a team work-out day.

Luis was very supportive and encouraging teaching me what to do and how to do the “scaled” versions. Olivia and I couldn’t figure out why we were so slow because we had only completed like 1 1/2 rounds when everyone else was finishing three rounds! Guess we misunderstood that doing a “team” workout means each person shares in doing each round. So guess we weren’t too slow considering we each did 1 1/2 full rounds. 🙂

We finished the morning with a cool-down of a 400m run (in my case walk) around the building complex. I didn’t think I’d make it around but the kids did good pushing me to keep going.

I was pleased that I had finished that workout and glad I really hadn’t died. However, I soon discovered that no one told me that I wouldn’t be able to sit down for three days! Every time I tried to even sit on the toilet I wanted to cry because it hurt so bad. Even worse, every time I didn’t think I would be able to get off the toilet.

Walking around Atlanta the next day was painful but I pushed through and just tried not to sit down!

I don’t know why the kids thought it would be funny to see their mom go to the gym and I don’t know why I went….