Author: hoodieruns

And I’m back up and running!

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Hoodieruns.ca is up and, yep, intentional pun to follow, running!
I’m also getting going again. There’s a new watch in my life. This one to be exact: Garmin Forerunner 310XT.  It has helped to motivate me a bit. I like seeing the numbers and getting that quantifiable feedback.  

There’s also another reason to get going: Surviving the zombie apocalypse – is your workout a fraud?  (thank you Coach Chris at CrossFit Waterloo for the link) basically, cross functional exercise will help cure my baby brain and body. Speaking ‎of body, oI’m 8 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight but the composition and shape of my body is very different. ‎I’ve certainly lost muscle mass and core strength. 

‎
My goal is to get back into running shape, fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes and be a good role model to my Little. Here’s the plan: train to run the Oktoberfest 5km fast, lift heavy things and clean up my eating. The Little doesn’t do so well with me eating dairy, so that is an easy trim from my diet. It’s the eating more veg and less sugar that I really stumble on.

Here’s how the month of July has gone, so far:

‎1 July- 25:29, 2.15 mi, 11:50/mi

2 July – 27:18, 2.51mi, 10:51/mi
20 July – 48:25, 4.28 mi, 11:19/mi
Lifting: 13lbs of baby daily. So basically none. 

Eating: like an idiot. 
Clothing: not even close to fitting.

And I’m back…

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As promised, it’s April and I’m back.

Those of you that know me, know why I’ve been MIA. I went and had a baby. We’ve chosen not to broadcast our baby all over the interwebs so you won’t be seeing cute, cuddly baby pictures here. In fact you won’t see them on the internet at all if we can help it, until they are able to decide what they want posted about themselves. You know, like all us old GenX/Millennials got to do when Facebook was invented. If you do know us and our baby, please refrain from mentioning their name or details. I really appreciate it.

So, if I’m not going to gush about my Little Bird, what will I talk about? Well, amazingly, I’m still me despite the massive life shift I’ve undertaken. Me, with a 49 pound weight gain from pregnancy that needs to be managed to the last ounce! This means you should expect a lot of postpartum fitness moaning and groaning.

Yesterday, just over a month postpartum, I went for my first run since December-ish. Yes, I’ve been cleared by my midwife. Yes, I’m taking it easy. No, my plumbing didn’t fall out. Little Bird slept and I hopped on the dreadmill.

25mins were spent as follows:
3mins warm up
7mins at 4.5mph
8mins at 5mph
2mins cool down
5mins of walking at 4mph
1.678 miles covered at 1% incline

dreadmill proof

Today, my legs feel surprisingly good. A little tired but nowhere near as bad as I was expecting. In fact all areas feel pretty good, although my pelvic floor and abdominal wall are definitely not what they used to be.
Hoodieruns is back!

Eating.

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On Tuesday and Wednesday last week, I did some great work at CrossFit and I was excited with my progress. I was so excited in fact, I posted this on my FaceBook status:

“Yesterday I put 120lbs over my head and today I cleaned 115lbs from the floor. Imagine what I’m capable of if I trained consistently and ate clean. 

Game on.”


A comment from a friend got me thinking. He said, “Don’t imagine… do it.” He’s right you know. I’ve been moaning to Tetz for weeks now about how I’m feeling. Eating is the single thing that I do everyday that I can use to make me feel better, have more energy and make me healthier. Sure, exercise will help but I don’t always have time to workout everyday and I certainly don’t have time to workout at Biggest Loser volumes!
My Feedly feed has a bunch of Paleo related content in it so I went and did some reading. Once again I found myself reading about The Whole30 Program. Go read it, it’s ok. I’ll wait.
Back?
I went last night and picked up a copy of It Starts With Food. Last night, before bed, I read four chapters. None of the things Melissa and Dallas write about were new to me. In fact, the first chapter on nutrients felt like a reminder of grade 10 nutrition. I knew this stuff already. So, why am I making bad choices? The chapter on our bodies’ physiological response to food, why we respond to sweet, salty and fatty did open my eyes though. I’d never really considered how much of our “food” is engineered to tap into those responses. 
This book is resonating with me. I’m going to read the rest of it this weekend and then, Tuesday morning, it begins. I’m starting a Whole30.
Game on.

Pitter Patter, I’m Back At’er!

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Tonight was my first CrossFit class since 17 May. I am grateful that it wasn’t as painful as I thought it was going to be!  
The workout was as follows:
EMOM 10
1 power clean
1 squat clean to thruster 
I did this at 75lbs, which according to my shabby logging, is a 10lb personal record. Good job Hoodie!
AMRAP 15
400 meter run
25 push ups
I completed 4 rounds + the run and 15 push ups of round 5. My cardio fitness is ok, the runs I’ve been getting in here and there are certainly showing but I could be doing so much more. 
Going back for more tomorrow. 
______________________
EMOM – every minute on the minute, do the exercises listed then rest until the next minute starts
AMRAP – as many rounds as possible, for the number of minutes posted 

Holbrook

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Last night I shredded my hands doing pull ups. I iced them by drinking an ice cold pint at The Chill. That made them feel better.

Here’s what I did to shred my hands.

Hero bench mark workout: Holbrook

10 Rounds:
5 Thrusters (Rx 80lbs, I did 55lbs)
10 Pullups (first round Rx, next 6 rounds with red band)
100m sprint
1 min rest

This is what this workout looks like:
(Just watch the first 1:00)

So a couple of things about this workout were particularly challenging for me. First was the sore shoulder I woke up with yesterday. I think a combination of Wednesday’s workout (see below), volleyball on the weekend and the way I’ve been sleeping lately conspired to give me some tightness. A lengthy warm up and keeping the weight down  (I think I could have done 70lbs) helped the shoulder, because it feels good today. The other thing that was tough was the pull ups. I can’t quite string together kips. Kipping pullups aren’t quite what the guy above is doing. Those look like butterfly pullups. Here’s what I mean:

I can do them one at a time but not able to just bang a bunch out. I swing too much and that wreaks havoc on my hands. They blister and pop after about 30. It’s really gross.

What’s awesome about this workout? Thrusters and running. I like!

Wednesday’s workout.

Halting Deadlift (3sec)
8-8-8 (I was working at 75lbs, really working to keep my form)

AMRAP 9
1 Hang Clean & Squat; (Rx 115lb, I did 75lbs)
2 Lateral Burpee (jumping over the bar)
2 Hang Clean & Squat
3 Burpee
3 Hang Clean & Squat
4 Burpee
… continue ladder by adding 1rep each round until time completed (I completed 6 rounds)

This was a schweaty workout. Wee lateral burpees! Nothing like the fear of tripping to make you jump!

Ups and downs

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Warning: this starts out a pity party but gets better. I promise. 
I was lazy with the eating and boozy on the weekend. Bad combination. 
I played  four games of volleyball on Saturday, and ran 5K, hungover, on Sunday with @bigbrnz, and Mr and Mrs Gonger. The run happened to be @bigbrnz ‘s longest consecutive run ever! Very pleased to have been part of that milestone! Congratulations buddy! 21.1, watch out!
I called my Mom and wished her a happy Mother’s Day. I felt crappy not seeing her and that, compounded with some birthday doldrums, I was feeling blue on Sunday. I did get to do bedtime stories with Miss K and that funny Amelia Bedeila had us both giggling. Back to organizing some stuff for work and my stress level rose. Cue emotional eating and subsequent bloat and poor sleep.
Monday started out with stewing about the crazy weather (snow?! minus temperatures?!) then a bad day at work, a less than spectacular round of golf (however, with the bestest company) which left me frustrated and finally it ended with another night of poor sleep. This equaled more emotional eating. 
Today I was wiped and dragging. More bumps at work and my poor car was feeling under the weather too. Between running around trying to get a handle on things and worrying about the car, by four PM I was shut down. I didn’t want to go to CrossFit or cook a meal. I wanted to lay on the couch with the kitty and watch Sherlock. Lucky for me, my friends and loved one provided the up I needed one more time to get me out to work out and motivated to cook something Paleo friendly (mostly, except the bit of dairy). 
See the common theme through the pity party? My circle of people that time and time again, pick me up and send me back out to carry on. Thank you for being you and for being there for me. 
I love you guys.
So tonight’s workout:
4 rounds:
3 strict pullups with 3 second descend
Max effort (as many as you can until you fall off) chest to bar. – did a scaled work out of pullups.
WOD (16 min cap)
50 double unders 
20 hand stand push ups
20 toes to bar
50 double unders
15 HSPU
15 T2B
50 double unders 
10 HSPU
10 T2B
I scaled this workout too, doing dive bombers and knees to elbows instead of HSPU and T2B.  I did, however, do dbl unders. 
I finished the set of 15 HSPU. Bloody T2B shreds my hands. I swing too much when I kip and I think I’m a wimp.
Not my best outing but I’m feeling better about it now that I’ve had dinner (pork loin, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, cucumber, tomato and a bit of cheese) I’m feeling better. So glad that I got out and did it!
And I’m up!

It’s been awhile…

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I’ve been busy!  (see: golf with Hoodlet, ripped hands, sunburn and dirty legs)
A couple of weeks, early in April were spent in Jamaica, sunning and rumming with some of our bestest friends. Such fun was had! Some minor nudity, lots and lots of dirty bananas, beach, cliff jumping, jerk chicken, jerk fries, jerk pasta, and tons of belly laughs were all highlights. @Wardy_, @keilshammer, @Leslie_Morton, and CM75, thank you so much for so much fun!!! I (we!) love you guys!!
The rest of April has slipped by with running and CrossFit. I’m working out 3-5 times a week and enjoying myself immensely. This seems to really help me keep my sanity and I am likely the changes I’m seeing in other sports. For instance, the little Hoodlet and Hubcap came down on the weekend. We golfed 18 and I was *crushing* my drives. Easily the longest drives of my life and straight! I certainly like the strength I’ve accumulated! 
Friends from work are encouraging me to do an obstacle race and that seems like it’d be super fun. Just terrified of the work I need to do to be competitive. Please, send me encouragement. I’ll do it… just need some gentle persuasion. 

I love lamb

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(Any movie nerds get it? My girl KJ would have gotten it in a snap… explanation below…)

Remember the other day how I made Moroccan Meatballs? I made them with lamb and they are mega delicious. So delicious that they are all gone and I will be making another batch tonight, only sadly, with beef because I’m out of lamb. Nom nom nom. If I remember to take a picture before I stuff the balls in my face (heh, I crack myself up) I’ll post it later.

Last night’s CrossFit class was a bit rough. My forearms are crispy. Thank you bigbrnz.com for that term.

1RM OHS (15mins to establish) – 65 lbs (not really my 1 rep max though, my partner was slow so didn’t really get a good run at this)

WOD (14minute cap):
50 Double Unders

5 Rounds
10 KB Snatch + Lunge; 12kg (8kg instead because we ran out of 12kg bells)
5 Chest to Bar Pullups (I did unassisted pull ups)
10 Thrusters (8kg, see above)

50 Double Unders

I am mad about the double unders. I suck at these. I did 10 d/u in the first set, then completed the rest as single skips and in the second set, I did 25 d/u before time was up. Tetz finished this workout, Rx, in 11mins flat. What killed me was the damn skipping. Grrr.
In brighter news, I’m pumped because I did unassisted (no bands) pull ups and managed to kip a couple! Progress!

Tonight… the dreaded wallballs. Thank you 13.3.

I love lamb