I Smoked It!!!

My Spartan 300 Challenge that is :-) 

Workout:
25 Pullups
50 Dealifts
50 Pushups
50 Box Jumps
50 Floor Wipes
50 Kettlebell Presses
25 Pullups
20 minute cut-off

I kicked off training for this challenge back on May 8th with a benchmark workout which I did not finish in the 20 minutes time limit.  I made it through 38 kettlebell presses which left me 12 kb presses and 25 pullups short of finishing.  So I set a goal of just finishing the final workout.  This past Saturday I not only finished the workout, I SMOKED IT in 17:55!!!

In addition to that goal I also set the following goals for the 7 week challege and saw them come to fruition:

Lose 5 more lbs - CHECK!  I've lost a total of 15 lbs since March 15th, the day I commited to eating Paleo.
Lose 3% more body fat - CHECK!  Total body fat lost since March 15th is now 8% :-)
Reduce overall inches - CHECK!  4 more inches lost for a total of 20" overall since March 15th.
Overcome my fear of box jumps on the 21" box - CHECK!

The only goal I did not meet was my goal of getting 1 kipping pullup without a band.  I'm thisclose and am confident it will happen any day now.  I've got the body mechanics down just need to add more power to the hip thrust and push off the top of the bar to get my chin over the bar.

I not only see the results of my new found way of eating and my Crossfit workout in my time on Saturday but how I felt during the workout itself.  I felt much stronger, not needing to rest as much during the workout and my recovery post work out was so much faster than on the May 8th workout.  This Saturday I went from the workout to a vinyasa yoga class an hour later and had a great practice, double and triple dipping chatarangas and feeling strong through out the entire class!  On Sunday I took a 9 a.m. hatha flow class still feeling strong, double and triple dipping chatarangas and then ran 5 miles that evening.  Muscle soreness is minimal and I'm ready for today's WOD of 5 burpees and 5 shuttle runs 5 times for time!

Post challenge I realize how much Crossfit and Paleo have become a lifestyle for me.  My motivation to hit the gym has not waivered and I did not feel the need to celebrate the challenge end by eating something crazy.  My Challenge morning pre-workout meal was a cup of green tea and a banana with almond butter.  Post workout I had 11 oz of coconut water and enjoyed a delicious lunch of a 96% lean hamburger patty with guacomole, spring greens, beets, cabbage, and cucumbers after yoga class.  For dinner Mr. X who cheered me on during my workout and dutifully held the chalk bucket for me during my final 25 pullups gifted me with an incredible dry aged steak which I ate along with mushrooms sauteed with garlic in olive oil and red wine, grilled organic sweet vidalia onions and a decadent bottle of Spottswoode 2006 Cab, a very generous and greatly appreciated gift from a friend's personal wine collection.

So my journey continues with the same enthusiasm and I've set these goals for the next 4 weeks:

Lose 5 more lbs by July 30th
Lose 3% more body fat by July 30th

Just in case you are wondering about the significance of July 30th, I am headed to Vegas to celebrate my little sister's 40th b'day and I want to look younger than her poolside at the Wynn ;-)

Tortoise or Hare

This week marks the half point in the 7 week training period for the Sparatan 300 Challenge.  I have only 3 1/2 more weeks to do the work to make my goals.  When I decided to take on this challenge I did so as a way to track the progress I'm making on this CF journey not so much to ramp up my workouts and become more stringent in my diet.  Don't get me wrong, I definitely am working towards becoming stronger, faster and leaner but doing so while maintaining balance in my life.

As a part of our training for this event, participants have received weekly communications that contain 4 additional workouts for each week on top of the Crossfit classes we already attend.  I'm not whining, quitting or trying to make any deals here but between working my day job, teaching 4 yoga classes in the evenings a week, 2 Crossfit classes, 2 public yoga classes, and 1-2 runs, a social and love life, I've been finding it difficult to work in all 4 additional workouts a week.  I've done at least 1 and some weeks 2 but it's been a real struggle to get in all 4 unless I give up one of my runs or yoga classes.  While I LOVE CF, I'm not ready to sacrafice yoga and running to get in those extra WOD's.  I need an equal dose of all 3 of those disciplines to keep me balanced in my mind, body and spirit.

Despite not having done all 4 extra weekly workouts over the past 3 weeks, I feel much stronger and it's evident by the PR's I continue to experience in my workouts.  The fit of my clothes show me that I'm much leaner than I was on May 8th and I am actually comfortable putting on shorts again.  As far as my goals for the challenge go, will I meet my goal of finishing the 300?  I think I'm most definitely closer now than I was 3 weeks ago.  Will I be able to do 1 kipping pull up without a band?  Not so sure about that one, but I'll keep working on it.  Will I be 5 lbs lighter and have 3% less body fat?  Maybe but I'm not so worried about it because I know that will come in time if I continue on this path.  What I do know for sure, is that if I allow CF to swallow up all of my time my chances of long term success will be in jeopardy.  I need this balance to keep me in this for the long haul and that's my top goal.  Time and again I've heard stories from people who go gung-ho like the Hare in Aesops fable in order to meet a goal and once they hit it they crash, burn and back slide.  I don't want that to happen to me so instead I plan to be more like the Tortoise taking a slower pace but in it for the long haul to not just finish strong at the end of these 7 weeks but to continue way beyond that.

Food and Fuel Log:

Friday 5-28-10

Breakfast 8:00 a.m.
3 egg whites with 1/2 c green peppers and onions cooked in 1 tsp coconut oil

Lunch 12:00 a.m.
1/4 lb baby back ribs
field greens with beets, cabbage, carrots and basalmic vinegarette

Snack 2:00 p.m.
1/4 lb turkey breast
1/2 c cantloupe

Dinner 9:00 p.m.
4 oz ribeye
spinach and mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, red wine and garlic
2 paleo margaritas
1 glass red wine

Workout:
3 mile run

Saturday 2-29-10

Breakfast 8:15 a.m.
1/2 c canteloupe
1 oz proscuitto

Snack 10:00 a.m.
1/2 Cashew Cookie Larabar

Lunch 12:30 a.m.
1/4 lb babyback ribs
field greens with beets, cabbage, carrots and basalmic vinegarette

Snack 4:00 p.m.
1 oz smoked turkey breast

Dinner 8:30 p.m.
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 c guacamole
grilled onions
artichoke hearts, black olives, cucmbers, cherry tomatoes in olive oil and basalmic vinegar
2 bites of raw coconut no-cheese cheese cake and raw cacoa brownie
2 paleo margaritas

Sunday 5-30-10

Breakfast 9:00 a.m.
Paleo Pancakes

Lunch 12:00 p.m.
2 oz smoked turkey breast
1/2 c guacamole

Snack 2:00 p.m.
1/2 Cashew Cookie Larabar

Snack 4:00 p.m.
handful of cashews

Dinner 6:30 p.m.
4 oz filet mignon
1/2 c mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and red wine
1 c broccoli salad with bacon, mayo, craisins and almonds
2 paleo margaritas
2 glasses red wine (hey, I was dinning at a home with a wine cellar and my host insisted that I sample some of his collection, I couldn't insult the guy!)

Workout:
50 Push Ups

50 Lunges
50 Supermans
2.5 Mile Run
15 reps of plank variation core work

Monday 5-31-10

Breakfast 9:30 a.m.
Paleo Pancakes

Lunch 12:00 p.m.
2 oz smoked turkey breast
1/2 c guacamole

Snack 3:00 p.m.
2 bites raw coconut no-cheese cheesecake, no-bake cacoa brownie

Snack 6:30 p.m.
handful of pistachios

Dinner 8:45 p.m.
1/2 lb babyback ribs
field greens with carrots, cabbage, beets and basalmic vinegar

Workout:
4 mile run