Just Quickly

Monday, March 30, 2009
Off

Friends are in from Tennessee this week, so we're going to be staying busy. I thought I'd go ahead and post a quick one while I had the chance. Here are some pics from the butterfly exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Later in the week I'll be posting fun river pictures and St. Augustine pictures.

WORKOUT: Today I ran my mile with Abbie--a full minute longer than last week. :(
Then I did 16kg Tabata snatches, 20kg Tabata swings, 16 kg Tabata swings--1 min rest between sets.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT: I did my C&P/Row/squats ladder yesterday followed by 9 minutes of snatches.

Comfort Food

Friday, March 27, 2009
Off--158.5#

A little know factoid about me is that I was a literature major in undergrad. I've always enjoyed writing (though med school beat the creativity out of me for a little while), and had hoped one day to be published.
One day has finally come--albeit not the way I thought it would.
I subscribe to a great online magazine put out by the people at Precision Nutrition called Spezzatino. A few months ago I noticed a call for contributions at the end of one volume, and sent the editor a link to my photography portfolio. She really like the image to the left below and wanted to use it with a juxtaposed modern convenience store for a photoessay. So not only did I get to have some writing published but also some pics! It's not much, but it's fun, and I'm quite proud. One funny note is that if you notice, the byline is for Jenny Bryan. I'm not sure where she got the Jenny because I never use it but my family has never called me anything other than Jenny. I'm still debating whether or not to have her correct it.

Click image to enlarge

TODAY'S WORKOUT:
AMAP 16kg snatches in 10 minutes (SSST)=135. I wasn't pushing as hard as I could have, but this is a baseline and I look forward to moving up quickly. I set the bell down only twice in the 10 min and didn't do that for the first time until after the 5 min mark. A friend unwittingly inspired this by doing a 3 min run with 16kg snatches for the first time and sharing the celebration with me. I immediately thought of the SSST, and have been dreading it, knowing darn well I had to do it now that it had crossed my mind.
2 min rest
1 min of 20 kg 3swngs/3cleans/3 highpulls then change sides
2 min 20kg swings
1 min rest
1min 20kg swings
1 min 16kg dip and switch cleans
1 min rest

1 min 16kg swings
1 min 16kg dip and switch cleans (these are a bitch, btw. I LOVE IT)
20sec rest
REpeat x 3 times total then do it 5 more times using 12kg for the dip and switches.

This was a nice challenging workout because of the short rest intervals. I'm trying to shorten the rests in my workouts, and this is actually proving to be as much of a mental challenge as a physical one.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT:
I've gotten a little bored with the ladders for pull-ups/pushups and pistols, so I decided that since I had worked my way through the 5 rungs with the green band, I'd shake it up just a little anyway. This is what I came up with...
AMAP pull-up/pushup sets in 2 min which turned out to be 2 to 2.5 sets per 2 min (I started the first 2 rounds with a purple 50# assist band but could only get 2 very difficult pullups done with it. I guess dropping down to that from the 75# was just too much, so I added a black 15# assist for a total of 65# of assist for the last three rounds. This allowed me to get 4 pullups per set. I did 5 pushups per set, but these STILL suck. They really are my cryptonite. I GOTTA get some video up so my buddy can help me out with that.)

Then run ~100yds, do 5 burpees, 1 clean and pushpress per side with the 20kg, run 20yds, do 5 box jumps (about 12inches), then rest for 2 min.

Repeat the whole thing 5 times.

I think I'm going to call this the "I Rock" workout. I was thinking it should be the "I Suck" workout because it focuses on making me better at all the things I totally suck at, but then I felt that was too negative and self-defeating, so I changed it. Right now it feels a little disjointed and I might end up tweaking it some, but I definitely felt the work.

Working in the Rain

Monday, March 23,2009
Work8p-8a--158.5#

You can't really tell by the iPhone picture below, but today I worked out in a steady 65 degree drizzle (thus the towel over my ipod with speakers and my workout log). Sometimes, a drizzle like that is just what I need. When I first realized it was raining, though,I frowned, pouted a little bit and debated if I really wanted to go out in it and spend 45 minutes getting wet. Turns out the gentle patter of the water on my arms and the muted sounds of the water in the trees was just what I needed. I had forgotten how much I can enjoy working out in less-than-perfect weather.
WORKOUT: 3 4-rung double 16kg C&P/row ladders. The last two ladders I had to do push-presses on the last rep of the last rung. I could definitely feel all the total crap I ate yesterday (I always can yet I continue to feel the need to splurge on occasion.).
3 3-rung double16kg squat ladders. These, however, felt pretty good today.
Snatch 16kg 30 sec R/30 sec L/30 sec rest. I'm consistently getting 9 reps every 30 secs, sometimes 10. This is definitely better than it has been being.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT: None specific. Took the doubles out for a spin again today--double steel 95's this time. Still TOTALLY sucked. I might just go straight to learning in sidemount.

SATURDAY'S WORKOUT: 80 rounds of vo2 max with the 12kg--consistently hitting 7-8 reps.

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT: 5 5-rung green band assisted pullups/pushups ladders. 5 2-rung assisted pistols ladders.

What Matters--And It's Not Meltdowns

Thursday, March 19, 2009
Work--160#

Sometimes, in the midst of stress, we find brief moments of the purest clarity. I had a nutritional meltdown at work last night. I spent my shift Wednesday night on the verge of tears, sometimes when it was slow and quiet allowing them to break through briefly. From the beginning of the shift, I fought the urge to send the tech out for some sugar-laden decadence during one of his McDonald's runs, and eventually caved in, getting a bag of cookies and a bag of M&M's from the machine. For whatever reason, this binge was not followed with the usual self-flagellating guilt. Instead, I crumbled the empty bag and I realized that that one bag of M&M's which followed that one bag of cookies was just that. One bag. And in the grand scheme of things, it really didn't matter. Neither did the bag of cookies. What mattered was that my mother was sitting in a hospital bed with a broken pelvis worrying that my dad might have a hypoglycemic episode that could kill him if she were not there to pick up on it in time. What mattered was that if it did, he would know that I love him and he is the most wonderful father in the world. What mattered was that she know that I love her and that I can never thank her enough for the years upon years that she has spent caring for all of us and worrying about all of us. What mattered was an infinite number of things--but all of them had to do with the people I love. Not a single one had anything to do with that bag of M&M's or that bag of cookies, or the 25 pounds I still need to get rid of. So the binge ended. Right there.

A few more pics of Ginnie Springs, one of the prettiest places on the planet.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: (Thanks, Mr. Calleo for the inspiration.)
10 20kg swings, 1 All-out Burpee (standing drop front to ground and come back all the way up into a jump with arms overhead)
10 20 kg swings, 2 all-out burpees,
10 20kg swings, 3 all-out burpees, all the way up to 10 all-out burpees...
Then do 10 20kg swings, 10 all-out burpees and work back down to 1 burpee.
It's AWESOME! :) I had a friend in small crisis during this and was having to text some on my breaks, but I did it in 33' 36". I like it.

Progress Report

Wednesday, March 18, 2009
160#

First...progress, or lack thereof, on the homefront...Mom is back in the hospital from another fall, and they are talking about sending her to rehab for a while to build her strength. Daddy is fighting that for whatever reason. We'll see.

Now... I decided to see where the measurements were falling since the weight is staying up.
Sunday the 15th January 22 January 23
Waist 31" 31" 30.75"
belly button 36.75" 36.5" 35.5"
Hips 38.5" 38.5" 37.75"
thighs 22" 21.5"

Since January I have had two PR's including snatching the 20kg for a few reps and push pressing it once on each side.
WORKOUT: No workout today. Rest.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT:
Double 16kg C&P 3 4-rung ladders. The last C&P on the last rung of the final two ladders was a pushpress. I'll have to stick those presses before I move on.
Double 16kg squat 3 3-rung ladders.
16kg snatch 30 sec R, 30 sec L, 30sec rest for 6 rounds.

MONDAY'S WORKOUT:
5 rounds of: Snatch 20kg 3x/side, sprint 40yds, 5 burpees, jog 40 yards, rest 1 min. Then run 9 minutes (trying to build this to a 9 min mile).

SUNDAY'S WORKOUT:
5 5-rung ladders of green band assisted pull-ups/pushups.
5 2-rung ladders of assisted pistols
20kg TGU 1/1 x 6
20kg Tabata swing.

Jen the Photojournalist

Friday, March 13, 2008
work 7p-7a

The hubby has been taking a rebreather class of late. My skills aren't advanced enough to participate yet, so I just run around documenting it all. :) He's been diving almost every day since we got here, enjoying every minute of it. Wanting to be a better, more efficient diver has led to a remarkably better diet, and the two are contributing to a steady weight loss. Hopefully, with each dive and each decision to eat a little better I get another few minutes with him when we're old and gray. And, ultimately, that is a large part of what this move was all about.

Today I have been trying to focus on these things because today has been an emotionally difficult day for me. I've been quite homesick. Daddy had to go into the hospital yesterday for even more heart issues, and Mom is doing her best to tolerate the pain of the broken pelvis at home. My siblings in Tennessee are running around taking care of them, and here I am in the warm sunny weather doing my own thing. The guilt runneth over. I keep trying to tell myself that each of my siblings had their time away, their years of spreading their wings and doing their own things. Their turns just happened to come in a time in Mom and Dad's lives when they were healthy. My mom was 42 when I was born. I didn't have that chance. Can you tell I'm trying to convince myself? Grrr.

Checking the counterlungs.Packing the cylinder.
Checking the mix. Took me forever to get used to the babyface!
Gearing up and checking the computer.

First rebreather dive

WORKOUTS: More of the same progression I've been on. I don't remember all the details since I don't have my workout log with me. My big lesson today was doing 15 minutes even though I'd planned for 30. I got up late and instead of saying to hell with it because I couldn't follow the plan, I did what I could. This lesson is an important one.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Off--158.5#

Our internet is still down, so I decided to steal bandwidth from a neighbor. :) The double tank dive went okay last night. People had told me that doubles were a whole new ball of wax, but I didn't truly believe them until last night. Walking them to the water was the easy part. My buoyancy was crazy, and I just couldn't quite get the feel for them. The steel 104's were a bit large, too, and I kept wacking my head on the manifold between them. That, coupled with my difficulty maintaining my buoyancy was pissing me off, and I had multiple cussing tirades underwater. The hubby says that's what everyone does their first time with doubles. I wonder if that's him just trying to make me feel better. Regardless, I'm going to give it another run in a pair of 95's as soon as I get the chance.

Here are some pics from a more serene evening we shared recently. One of my favorite things in the world is sitting round that campfire with friends.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Today was my exercise in moderation. I was feeling a little beat up, so I decided to take the day off. I almost got up and went out there anyway, but stuck to my guns for a rest day. I hope it pays off.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT: 5 2-rung assisted pistol ladders followed with 5 5-rung green band assisted pullup ladders. I didn't do the usual TGU's or Tabata because I knew I was going to be getting into the water with those doubles.

SUNDAY'S WORKOUT: As many Full-on Burpees (chest to the deck then jump up with arms in the air) as could get in 10 minutes--turned out to be 59 that day. Finished a full 75 in 14 min.
Then I ran 9 minutes. I have to figure out how far that ends up being one of these days.

SATURDAY'S WORKOUT: DOUBLE C&P / Row ladders 3 4-rung then 3 3-rung double squat ladders with the 16's
then 75 full-on burpees in 16'07"

Doing my 1st double cylinder dive today. The rig weighs 140#--19 less
than I did today. We'll see how that goes. My Internet is JACKED right
now so I can't email as well as I'd like or keep up with my buddies.
Mom fell & broke her pelvis last night. & on & on. Grrr! More later.

St. Augustine

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Off--159.5#
646 Swing Challenge Points

We took a trip over to St. Augustine a few days ago, and as always, I had the camera in tow. Before we left, I had the debate about what and how much equipment to take. I decided to take only my new 24mm prime lens and make the day an opportunity to force some skill in using it. Here are a few of the images I came up with.

Aaahhhh...the beach. I'm diggin' what the 24mm does to the sky.

One man band off St. George Street.Just kinda thought this was pretty.

The still active St. Augustine lighthouse.
The lightkeeper's house which is now a museum.

WORKOUT:
Green band assisted pull-ups/pushups ladders=5 5-rung ladders. I'll be sticking with this ladder for a bit longer as it's still not feeling good and strong. I am, however, finally feeling a groove on the pullups--finally feeling my lats and triceps activate like I think they are supposed to. Pushups, however, continue to be my arch nemesis. I REALLY wish I had someone who could help me fix them. I'm quite certain it is a form flaw on my part.

20kg TGU 1/1 x 6 (one more than the last time I did this workout)--doing these outside now which SUCKS.

20kg tabata swings=112points toward the swing challenge.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT: 16kg snatch 1 min R/ 1 min L/ 1 min rest. Before the RKC I was rocking this pretty well. It was not nice yesterday, so I'm gonna throw this in the mix more frequently. Swing Challenge points=384 points

NUTRITION: I am slowly catching up with the wagon and hope to be back on it soon. The last two days have not been bad, and I definitely feel as if I'm fueling my body instead of my psyche. Undoubtedly it is a process that feeds on itself because I already feel so much more in control. Turns out, though, that I'm also going to have to break my husband back into the idea of my being back on a program other than glutinous debauchery. He pouted when my meal tonight was an apple and peanut butter. :)

Monday, March 2, 2009
Off-160# (Yeah, I know...)

Before I left TN, I took some pics for a dear friend who had just had a baby as part of her gift from me. Truth be told, she did me a favor by letting me monopolize her and her baby for a couple of hours one afternoon. I hope she feels like it was time well-spent.








TODAY'S WORKOUT:
Double 16kg C&P/Row ladders: 3 4-rung ladders--had to push press the last one of the 4th rung on the last 2 ladders, but I'll take it. They're feeling good.
Double 16 kg Squats for 3 3-rung ladders

5 rounds of 30 sec 16kg snatch R, 30 sec snatch L, 30 sec rest. (Shoulda been five but a buddy came by and cut me short). For the 10,000 swing challenge (which I started a little late to throw into this workout) that puts me at 150 swings for the day.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT: I think I'll start calling this "Mr. Calleo."
20kg swing x 20, Sprint 40 yards, 5 burpees, jog 40 yards
20kg swing r x 3, snatch r x 3, repeat on the left, sprint, burpees, jog (repeat x 4)

Run 9 minutes.

I added in those 20kg snatches where there used to be swings b/c now that I've acquired that trick I want to foster it.

SATURDAY'S WORKOUT:
5 5-rung ladders of green band assisted pullups alternated with pushups (still my frikkin' arch nemesis)
5 2-rung ladders of assisted pistols.

20kg TGU 1/1 x 5

20kg tabata swing.