I know when my body needs a break, and I listen to it

I know when my body needs a break from working out. I always listen to it.

This past Saturday I did an incredibly difficult challenge at CrossFit, called Murphy. It consisted of:

  • 1 mile run
  • 100 pullups
  • 200 push ups
  • 300 squats
  • 1 mile run

You can see my re-cap just a few posts back. I’m taking a break from CrossFit this week because my upper body is sore.

A lot of times, CrossFit creates a ton of controversy. Whether it’s safe. Whether it’s good for you. You can call yourself “hardcore” and push through the pain, but in reality— you may be doing more damage than good. Please have a read at this article. Here are a few quotes.

The real danger is to new athletes, like those who flock to the thousands of CrossFit facilities looking for a great workout. Word of mouth is powerful in the CrossFit community, and maybe the most dangerous element. While the workouts can be performed by beginners, their immature muscles can’t tell the difference between training to failure and simply getting a good workout. In fact, most beginners don’t know when “too much is too much” and don’t understand the unique demand of an exercise session, says Eric Cressey, C.S.C.S., a shoulder and injury prevention expert and owner of Cressey Performance in Hudson, Mass.

This much is certain: When done correctly, CrossFit is not inherently bad or ineffective. Like other training methodologies before it, CrossFit is a form of high intensity exercise, an efficient model of exercise that has helped many people lose weight while improving strength and endurance.

I will repeat myself, and say listen to your body. Let it take a break.

Read more here.

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My CrossFit Journal (Year 1, week 27)

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year 1, week 27, day one

Behind Neck Split Jerk
4-4-4-4-4-4

(source)

We moved up in weight each time we did a set. I was on my last set of weights and it ended up being 85lbs. I dropped the weight behind my back as I was lowering it down on the first go. I decided to stop then and there, it got too heavy to bring down to my shoulders. My last successful behind neck split jerk was the 5th round at 75lbs.

Then it was time for the WOD:

“Annie”
50-40-30-20-10
Double-unders
Sit-ups

I got double unders for the first time!!! We were practicing them before the WOD and I got like 6 and 7 in a row for a few go’s. I tried to do it for the WOD but I couldn’t go fast enough and I kept tripping over myself. It was just faster and easier for me to do 3x the amount of single skips. I ended up getting down to the 30’s. We only had 10 mins for it. I surprised myself and pumped out all 50 sit ups without stopping on the first round. Boom! That’s how it’s done ;)

My elbows ended up bruising pretty badly as the skipping causes some whip marks on my arms, and sometimes my butt or ankles!

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year 1, week 27, day two

 The Seven – Modified

Five rounds for time of:

7 Handstand push-ups diver bombers
7 Thrusters; 135/95lbs I used 50lbs
7 Knees to elbows
7 Deadlifts; 135/95lbs I used 50lbs
7 Burpees
7 Kettlebell swings; 2 pood/1.5 pood I used 16kg
7 Pull-ups

It was a tough one. I was on my forth round and completed the 7 dive bombers and 7 thrusters and the timer went off. We had a 25min time limit. So nuts.

I shamelessly took before and after pictures… in the elevator. Like I said. No shame man! No probs. Full of sweat.

Before: Happy and pumped up!  After: Tired and hungry.

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year 1, week 27, day three

Hang Clean:
20 Minutes to Establish 1RM

We had twenty minutes to get to our one rep max. My 1 rep max hang clean ended up being 100lbs!! LOL omg. So awesome. Tried for 105lbx three times after, and failed. So – guess I found my 1 rep max, for sure! 100lbs impressed me. Holy cow.

Example of Hang Clean (source)

AMRAP 8: (as many rounds as possible in 8 minutes)
8 Ring Dip
8 Hollow Rocks I did V-Situps instead, because my abs killed from the Annie WOD.

I completed 5 full rounds in the 8 minutes. No extras anywhere. I hate ring dips, they’re really difficult for me lol.

I tweeted this image of my biceps, again in the elevator. Hey, it’s a long ride up to my floor, and there’s a mirror. What else am I to do? ;)

I don’t know if this was a shadow from the overhead light, or if my biceps look this big naturally. Either way, I like it.

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year 1, week 27, day four

We started out doing 40 minutes of Yoga at CrossFit before the Murphy Challenge:

1 mile run
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
1 mile runI was surprisingly not nervous for this workout until we were all sent outside to get a run-through of the WOD. That’s when my hands started shaking.

I completed my first mile in 7:40, which I was surprised about, I thought I was going slower. I teamed up with one of my CrossFit buddies and we did the 100 pull ups with the black band, together. Taking turns doing 10 each. We flew through it, and were one of the first 7-ish people to finish.

Now, the 200 push ups were what was the most brutal part of the workout. I don’t know how people flew through them. At one point I was laying down on my stomach with my forehead resting on my hands. One of the two CrossFit coaches came over to me and asked how many I had left. “70” I said. He then said quietly “mind over matter nancy, you can do this”. This is why I love CrossFit. Those simple words, I don’t know where the energy came from, but that moment right there is when I needed it. My other CrossFit coach was doing the Murphy challenge with us.

Finally getting into the 300 squats, and another CrossFit friend came over to me. He started CrossFit the same day I did, but he was one of the first guys to finish. Speedy lil’ thing. Anyway, he saw me struggling through the squats and asked how many I had left. I said “I’m at 181!” He too, said some encouraging words to me.

Finished my squats and bursted out of the CrossFit box (it’s like a warehouse) and tried to go into a full run. Most people were finished by this time, and I shouted “Oh F&C*” except I really swore ;) My legs felt like I had just done a brick-workout. Like folks when they’re racing in triathlons, and getting off the bike is difficult going back into running. My legs felt so heavy. I just shuffled along and pounded through it.

My final time ended up being 65:13. I was really proud of it, since I’ve never done the Murphy challenge before. I passed my year and a half at CrossFit last week, so it was due time that I did this. A few people said it was a “rite of passage” for CrossFit, to complete it.

I loved it, and I’d do it again soon. Does that make me sound crazy? ;)

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Ziplock baggies – not just for food!

I wouldn’t call myself a product or sample hoarder, because I’m quite generous with giving away my products that I get inside my monthly beauty subscription boxes such as Glymm, TopBox, GlossyBox, and Luxe Box (see a comparison here).

Whenever I fly home to Newfoundland I cart half my suitcase full of unused, or swatched 1-2x products for my family. We’re heading back to Newfoundland next month, so I’m starting to gather up some of the products I’m “donating”, along with some early Christmas presents. Hey, it’s smart to shop all year round!

This weekend I decided to accumulate all of the beauty items and organize them into categories. These weren’t just samples, some of these products I was either sent to review, or bought myself.

It was a little overwhelming seeing it all out on the floor. So, I got the ziplock bags and went to work. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.

The cute pink makeup bag is from CindaB, that I reviewed last year.

The reason I chose to put everything in ziplock bags, was to actually see what I have, to keep it organized by type, and to really use the products up.

I had everything piled high in the CindaB  bag, and it was just a mess. I was buying my favorite mascaras (make up for ever smoky lash!) without realizing I already had two. Moses.

I don’t like using multiple products at once. Right now I have three facial cleansers to go through, and I don’t want them all to be half-used up, so I’ll use an entire bottle and move onto the next, like a normal person lol.

Now that everything is in its own ziplock bag, I feel much more accomplished and relieved!

The bags I have:

  1. Foundations/Concealers
  2. Mascaras
  3. Perfume
  4. Hand & Body Lotions
  5. Body Wash and Soaps
  6. Eyeshadows & Eyeliners
  7. Shampoo & Conditioner
  8. Hair products (serums)
  9. Facial Cleansing Products & Facial Masks
  10. Blush & Highlighters
  11. Lip Products

I could be missing some, I’m in the TV room writing the blog post, and the bags are stored in the bedroom.

This is not my every day makeup. This is just stuff I haven’t even started to use yet. Or, stuff I wouldn’t use on a regular basis but have already dipped into. Like a few cream blushes.

My every day make up is stored in this bag, shown in this blog post.

Do you use your ziplock baggies for anything else other than food?

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