Summer Vacation

I'm on my own for fitness for the next little while as I'm going on vacation until the end of the month and again for most of September. It'll be interesting to see my measurements between now and then, but I'm going to keep at my home WOD's and hopefully that will help.

I'm also reconsidering joining back with the CrossFit center as I look at my budget a little closer, it's just tight at $140 per month.

I wish all of my followers the best in the next few months, I'll still post from time to time on here, but my main blog will be http://2011epicsummer.blogspot.com.

Home WOD

Do you have 20 minutes to spare before your favorite program, in your hotel room or at your campsite? Here's one I just did while waiting for "Bachelorette" to come on tonight...feels good!

Five rounds:

• 20 x Push ups
• 20 x Sit ups
• 20 x Squats

Time: 16:25

Top 5 Reasons to Stay Motivated This Summer

Have you ever noticed the peak time at any gym seems to be just after New Year's Eve? My best guess is that this is due to the resolutions we set for ourselves to "get in shape". The fad seems to wear off by April.

Now, either you are one of those people that do get in shape quickly and then quit (binge exercising) or you lose your motivation. I'm a little bit of both and I'd like to quit doing that, so I asked a CrossFit blog recently "What keeps you motivated in the summer?". I hope some of these tips help you this summer, feel free to add your own tips in the comments section.

1. The Beach - Summertime requires us to show a little more skin than normal, which is motivation enough. You want to look your best in that summer swim wear and possibly attract a mate. ;)

2. Financial Commitment - Some CrossFit gyms cost upwards of $175/month. The Yellowknife Martial Centre is $140/month, not wanting to waste that money can be motivation enough. Plus, you just know once you're in the door the people and atmosphere take care of the rest.

Sunny Summer Sunday

This post is a little late and will be short, I just wanted to post my workout and time as well as a brief description of this weekend in general.

It's been hot here in Yellowknife, which is a great time to host guests. My friend Jess has been staying with us for the past week and her parents were here the last few days. They have made great company for us and I'm sad to have to say goodbye tomorrow.

Yesterday, I started my day with a great WOD, followed by boating, swimming, BBQing and fishing on Prelude Lake. All in all, it was a great day.

So what did I do? 
Warm up - 50 m lunges and 20 Burpees x 2

• 20 Deadlifts (95 lbs) x 4
• 25 Wall Balls x 4

Time: 22:16 

Today my quads felt a bit sore, but that was nothing compared to my upset stomach and nausea. When I went in the office this morning it read 25 degrees on my thermostat. It wasn't a good situation, so I left feeling quite dizzy and fatigued. Just another reminder to remember to keep hydrated I guess?

Turkish Getup and DO IT

My last blog post was June 28...where does time go? It goes to renovations, travels to see family and low energy levels. The good news is that I am back and I think I ROCKED tonight's WOD. :)

So how did I feel? 
I have to admit, I felt sluggish going to tonight's WOD. It's so easy to stay away from the gym in the summer, but the one thing I have to remember is that I'll feel better once I'm there and a hell of a lot better once it's over. I have more energy after the WOD paired with a huge sense of accomplishment. I have to give John props tonight, he didn't give me shit for not being there for the past week; instead, he commented on how much I've slimmed down. Now that's motivation, thank you John!

The Three Stooges

You've heard of Moe, Curly and Larry, but let me introduce you to Cherie, Colette and I (Samantha)...

We joined Crossfit at the same time and decided to stick together to help motivate each other. That we are, but we're also having a great time doing it...it's a comedy show really. Every WOD we seem to have so many questions, we whine, we complain and we simply give the trainers a hard time. There's no denying it really and I feel bad, but it's almost become a routine of ours and it's comical, at least to me. haha...

Finally losing LBS!

Today's WOD was long, but it was worth it. I measured myself yesterday and so far have lost 7.5 inches in a month, since I started this journey. Today, I weighed in at a loss of 4 lbs! I'm guessing my muscles have bulked up a bit and now the weight is coming off...very rewarding.

How did I feel? 
It's been a busy week, I did a workout two days in a row last week (Sunday/Monday), traveled to Edmonton for work Tuesday - Thursday, fell ill "stomach issues" Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and spent all day Saturday doing bathroom renovations. Today's exercise kicked my ass, but I got it done and I'm proud of that.

So what did I do? 
Warm up was 2 minutes skipping rope and 50 Tabata Squats.

For time:

• 200 metre run
• 100 pull ups
• 200 push ups
• 300 squats
• 200 metre run

My time: 50:22

I don't regret listening to my body this week and I think that's important. Crossfit is a great workout, but there has to be a balance and, at least for me, has to be enjoyable.

Hot as Hell

Yellowknife is reaching record temperatures and was, once again, the hottest city in Canada today. So, a little bit of added sweat was added to my WOD tonight.

That's Yellowknife, 26C - June 20, 2011. Land of the midnight Sun.

How did I do? 
Warm Up - 25 Tabata Squats and 25 push ups

Repeat the following three times for time:

• 200 m run
• 20 wall balls
• 20 kettlebell swings
• 200 m run

Time: 22:45 (approx.)

Eating = Energy

Where it all happens!

Today's WOD was hard on me and I think it had to do with the fact that I hardly ate during the day. We're working on renovating the bathroom and bedroom at home and I got caught up in hanging drywall rather than eating today. I paid the price in my workout for sure.

How did I feel? 
At first I was full of energy from eating an orange and found the warm up itself to be a great exercise. Getting into the first round of the WOD was tough after that and it only got harder. I was beat red by the end of it and that wasn't from embarrassment.

How did I do? 
Today's WOD had a slightly longer "warm up" than what we've been used to. It included a total of 3 laps around the building (approx. 1200m), 45 sit ups and 45 push ups.

There were a few new twists to today's WOD. There is now an 8 ft (ladies) and 10 ft (men's) mark on the wall to use a targets for wall ball. I also carried 30 lbs of weight while doing lunges across the room, ouch!

3 Rounds of the following:

• 15 Dead Lifts
• 20 Box jumps (12 inches)
• 25 Wall Balls
• Lunges wall to wall with two 15 lb kettlebells

Time: 24:44
Well, that kicked my ass!

I'm going to eat more tomorrow and go back again...

Speed Test

Crossfit - WOD - June 16, 2011

CINDY - Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 Minutes

• 5 Pull ups
• 10 Pushups
• 15 Squats

How did I do? 

Nine rounds in 20 minutes. I'm happy with this :)

Otherwise, I can't wait for the weekend now, it's been a rough and tough week. I'll be back on Sunday. 

Save the date - June 24 at 7:00 pm there will be a customer appreciation BBQ at The Martial Centre. If you are interested in finding out more about CrossFit, you are welcome as well.

• If you have any tips on how to do pull ups/chin ups for those who are just starting out, please comment below.

Have a great weekend!

Trial Session - Complete!

Tonight's WOD was the 10th session in the initial trial we were to complete before starting actual classes with bigger class sizes (10). Whoo hoo!

How did I feel? 
Having just done a WOD yesterday, I wasn't sure about tonight, especially after taking a peak online at what was in store (www.themartialcentre.com). My quads were sore going into it, but I've learnt that you just have to push through it, as your muscles warm up the pain goes away.

So how did I do? 
The WOD tonight was "Kelly". The full version is 5 rounds but, luckily ours was modified to 3 rounds tonight.

Warm Up - 20 Sit Ups and 15 Push Ups

• 400 m run X 3
• 30 wall balls X 3
• 30 box jumps X 3

Time: 23:16
I think I might have missed something, or I'm just that good ;o)

Tomorrow it's Yoga time and I'm really looking forward to it. This is really an intense week with another WOD on Thursday. The weekend will be focused on home renovations.

Oh, one more thing.....

GO CANUCKS GO!!! 

Day Ten - Back in the Game

As you read in the previous post, my energy has taken a fall in the last week and I really noticed it tonight. The time away felt like I was starting at square one again. Lesson learnt.

How did I feel? 
I was very frustrated tonight with this WOD with the lack of energy. I had hoped that the Paleo diet lifestyle change was working for me, but maybe not, I'm confused. It is supposed to increase energy levels, but maybe it'll just take a little more time. Perhaps my body is still getting used to the changes and reduced sugar levels as I've been cutting out dairy, starch and sugar. I had a look over the alternative diet that John suggests and will try some of the meals listed. Diet is so frustrating to me, I hate following these things, but as long as I'm eating "healthy" I'm happy. One thing that is included in the literature I was presented was to take fish oil several times a day, it's worth a shot!

So how did I do? 
This WOD was tough after missing a week of CrossFit.

Warm Up - Approx. 800 m Run

• 15 Push Ups X 4
• 15 Leg Raises X 4
  
• 20 Burpees X 4 (I frigging hate these)
  
• 25 Wall Balls X 4

Time: Approx. 36:54

We're going to go again tomorrow since I have Yoga Wednesday and my friends play golf that day as well. 

Just a reminder, if you want to try CrossFit in Yellowknife for FREE, check out www.themartialcentre.com or call John Stanley at 446-6526. You can also e-mail him at john@themartialcentre.com for further information.

A Few Days Off

If you've been wondering why I haven't posted in a few days, it's because I haven't been to CrossFit since Sunday. I was booked in for Monday, then Tuesday, but just haven't been feeling well this week so I missed out. I also skipped Yoga tonight...

How I feel...
I'm really tired after work this week and have found myself taking naps after work and feeling stuffed up. I'm sticking with the Paleo and I actually feel pretty good on it. I don't miss dairy as much as I thought I would and find that pasta and rice just don't have the same appeal to me anymore. I've been filling up on fruits and veggies while satisfying my dairy craving with Chocolate Almond Milk and using coconut milk...really good!

A few people have commented on how I've been slimming down and that they can see it in my face, which is really really nice! I'm not down on weight, but measurements are down, which is what makes me happy.

Friday it is and if I don't do a blog post Friday night about my CrossFit WOD, feel free to spam me.  :)

Thanks!

Day Nine - Post Birthday WOD

I was determined to show up for the 10:00 am workout we had scheduled today, so I did. When I arrived, my friends called to say that they wouldn't be in till 1:00 pm...do I stay do to the WOD by myself, or come back at 1:00 with them? I stayed.

How I felt...
Well, since it was my birthday last night I had a few drinks so I feel a little sluggish today. The test was to see if I could keep myself motivated, being the only one there with the trainer.

So how did I do?
Today's WOD appeared "easy" at first glance written on the white board, but it sure didn't feel that way...

Warm Up - Wall to wall frog jump squats x 2

400 m Run X 3
21 Kettle Bell Swings (with a 30 lb weight, I went down to 20 lb after the first round) X 3
12 Pull Ups X 3

Time: 21:40

Paleo Birthday Cake Recipe

Well, today is my birthday, so I found this great recipe to make a Paleo birthday cake. I already cheated with the Triple Tuxedo cake my co-workers bought for me the other day, so figure that this weekend should be a little healthier. Ok, and Thursday night I drank a few Gin & Tonics because my Aunt was in town for the night...there are too many temptations in the world, but I think it's ok to break a few times, as long as you still feel good. :)

This is probably the simplest recipe I've ever seen in my life and I'm glad, because I hate baking. *The almond meal is bloody expensive ($15 for the bag), which is reason enough to only bake this for yourself once or twice a year.

Almond Meal (finely ground Almond)

Ingredients:

¼ cup oil (I used Olive Oil)
¼ cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup almond meal
½ cup cocoa powder
3 bananas, flesh mashed

Preheat a fan‐forced oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cake tin and line with baking paper.

In a large mixing‐bowl cream the oil, honey and eggs until light and fluffy. Add almond meal, cocoa powder and bananas and combine well. Pour the banana cake mixture into a cake tin.

Bake in the oven for 50‐60 minutes or until cake is cooked.

*For extra points, I'm going to slice up some strawberries to put on top. :)

Day Eight - Will it get easier?

Last night's WOD was hard on my wrists, chest, neck and shoulders. We were timed to complete the following:

Don't give up!

50 Push Ups
10 Kettle Bell Swings
40 Push Ups
20 Kettle Bell Swings
30 Push Ups
30 Kettle Bell Swings
20 Push Ups
40 Kettle Bell Swings
10 Push Ups
50 Kettle Bell Swings

Yoga - The Stress Buster

An hour of not talking, barely moving and still focused. Possible? Yes! My first every Yoga class was tonight, designed to teach stress-relief techniques through physical movement, breathwork, and meditation.

Life has so many distractions, interruptions and stress. We are "monkeys swinging from tree to tree" as Maureen would describe it - "let's get rid of the money brain". Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

How I felt...
It was so good to take that hour for ME. It reminded me of the time I was in counseling a few years ago, when I had that hour a week to focus on myself and nobody would change the subject, she would just let me speak and she would listen. This class tonight had me focused on breathing, on different bones in my body and ending with a deep relaxation remembering a happy time in life. It's good stuff, cleansing.

Not only will this help me focus on myself for the next few weeks, but it's also a great balance for my CrossFit classes. We've already done quite a few great stretches in our first class and I can see how this ties in nicely, to help loosen tight muscles and increase back flexibility.    

Let me know if you've ever tried Yoga and what you like best about it. I'd love to hear your comments.

Day Seven - 17:40 and Steady

As I was walking to the doors of The Martial Centre a friend of mine was walking out, dripping in sweat telling me to "ask for Riddick". I'm glad I didn't take his advice...Riddick is an intense WOD given to delinquent and tardy CrossFit participants.

From now on the WOD will be written on the white board in the CrossFit room, along with names and times next to them. Tonight's top female time was something sick like 10:15, geezus!

How I felt...
Just "GITRDONE" as Trudy would say. I'm noticing that we're more focused going through the WOD than we were when we first started, but that could be because we didn't learn any new exercises today - as we'll expect the longer we keep going.

Day Six - T&A Measure Less Today...

Today was the perfect 26 minutes of a great workout. Going with the same group is keeping us all motivated, along with the financial investment we've made and the return on investment by recruiting friends = one free month per person. Trudy is still recovering from her hip alignment (ouch), but should be back in action soon, we miss her. 

Day Five - Summer Flowers

Canadian Tire Garden Centre is open!

The Canadian Tire Garden Centre opened here in Yellowknife today. This is big news for a city of approx. 20,000 people, I had to go. Like CrossFit, gardening is something I'm very new at but, find it very rewarding. I lost track of time planting my new flowers tonight and missed my CrossFit session with my friends. The good news is I was able to go at 9 pm!

Paleo Meal #1

My "first" Paleo dish

Tonight I decided to act on some of the reading I've been doing on this paleo "diet". Now, don't worry, I'm not going to post daily pictures of what I'm eating, but today feels new to me and I wanted to share.

I read that you should only need to visit the meat, fish and produce sections at the grocery store, so that's what I did. I marched in there, right past the bakery (sigh) and directly to the produce section. I picked up all kinds of vegetables and fruits, keeping in mind that I have to eat all of it in a week, before it goes bad. Then, off to the meat section, right past all of those frozen pizzas, ice cream and juices from concentrate. Here, I picked up Sirloin steaks, extra lean ground beef and chicken breasts. There, done!

Day Four - Case of the Crab Arm...

Crab Arms

Yes, you read that correctly...I can't straighten out my right arm, thus giving it the name of "crab arm" as John named it tonight.

How I felt...
Tonight's WOD (Workout Of the Day) was TOUGH!! I can't remember the last time I was pushed that hard or felt like puking as much as I did tonight. At times I was dizzy, other times focused, other times I wanted to give up. I really hate whining, but those damn voices in my head kept telling me to give up. My body hurt and I was pushing it. I really need to shed some extra pounds so it'll be easier. I feel like I could have done better, but know that next time I will.

Day Three - You Can Do This

John Stanley, Facility Owner

"Regular people" are John's Stanley's words to describe the people coming in to do CrossFit at The Martial Centre in Yellowknife, he's the Facility Owner.

This is encouraging to me, to know that other people are walking around with sore muscles, waking up from winter hibernation. "Regular people can do this" - I can do this.

How I felt...
Today I felt good, not as sore coming to class this time as last and equally motivated. I certainly wouldn't have done half of the things I did today if I were to go to a gym by myself. Having the trainers there to hold you accountable, track progress and get you in line certainly helps. "Pace yourself, take a step back, but keep doing it - don't get discouraged" - John and Alex both rhyme to me, they've likely said this a hundred times before, but you can hear the sincerity in their voice.

Day Two - No Pain No Gain

How I felt...
Well, the last three days have been painful! My quads were so sore for all of the squats we did Monday...I was like an old lady walking down stairs, taking it one step at a time and holding on to the railing for dear life. At work, I've been using the handicap washroom just so I could use the rail to assist...ah, you get the point.

Tonight, it was nice to get going and warm those muscles up, gaining back the flexibility to stretch after. I actually felt pretty good, my heart was racing and I took breaks as needed to pace myself. Again, was a difference to have someone there checking form, offering tips and support. Having friends there doing the same circuit, motivating each other was powerful as well.

Day One - The Trial Test

Today I joined CrossFit. See the "What is CrossFit?" tab if you aren't sure what CrossFit is and "How Do I Join?" for information on how to join in Yellowknife.

The following entries are going to be a recording of what I accomplished and how I felt in each session I will also have pictorial updates of myself from time to time. It's a way I can record what I am doing, stay motivated and share my experience.