My first RX WOD!

Yup thats right, I FINALLY RX'ed a WOD! Not without some pushing from my coach though! Our workout for today went as follows:

For time:
18-15-12-9-6-3 of

Thrusters 65#
Toes-to-bar
Kettle Bell Swings 24kg

The first two I knew were gonna be ruff but Kettle Bell swings at 24kg, I thought "no way in Hell can I do that". But I didnt get to the Kettle Bells fast enough and was stuck with a 24kg.  I was going to share a 16kg with a fellow member BUT Coach insisted we both try the 24kg. He saw us swing it once and said "see you can do it"????? Really?? I had my doubts, but in the end Coach is always right! 
It was tuff, NO not just tuff, BRUTAL!Thrusters as always proved to be very deceiving, I could only do 5 at a time each set. As I got tired Toes-to-bar even started biting me in the a$@ and I could only do 2 or 3 kettle bell swings at a time. Half way through the WOD I thought I might die! But watching my fellow Crossfit peeps chug through it and hearing coach motivate us helped keep me going. I have to say all the torture was well worth the thrill of RXing in the end! :)

I have been waiting for this day since I started with North Country Crossfit 4 months ago! I can see myself progressing, I can do pull ups, I can almost RX a handstand push up, my weights have gradually increased but I could never seem to RX a WOD. FINALLY, I have and it feels AWESOME! I couldn't be prouder. For anyone who has had a first RX, you understand my joy! I cant wipe this smile off my face! :) 
THANKS Coach Ben for the Motivation today! 

Yours Truely, Smiling RXer,
Samantha

Memorial day WOD "MURPH"

I took one look at this WOD and thought "Damn this soldier must have been one bad ass because this workout is going to destroy me".

WOD Murph

1mile Run
100 push-ups
200 pull-ups
300 squats
1 mile Run

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it "Body Armor". From here on it will be referred to as "Murph" in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

Obviously I was not completing this workout with a weighted vest but according to my Coaches the easiest way to crush this workout was to split it up. Do your 1 mile run then do 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats then finish with 1 mile run.
Honestly I had one thought in my mind "just finish"! Walking into the box yesterday was nerve racking, but also an honor. We did this WOD as a salute to this fallen soldier and to the many that gave their lives for our country. So with that in mind it made it a little easier to push through it.
I am not going to lie it wasn't easy! I finished in 49:41. Something I am happy about because I just hoped to finish in under an hour.
There was about 50 us at North Country Crossfit that completed this WOD. Everyone defeated it at their own pace and rocked it! Once again to see all the members kill this workout was amazing. Everyone should be proud of how far they have come since beginning Crossfit. No way in hell I could have completed this 3 months ago but because of my coaches I did! So thanks Coach Meg and Ben for getting me strong enough! 

GREAT WORK everyone at NORTH COUNTRY CROSSFIT!! & to all the other Crossfitters that completed WOD Murph!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!
Samantha

Confidence

Confidence is something that we all had as a kid, when given a dare to climb the highest tree in the playground, we just did it because we knew we could without a doubt in our mind. Its also something as an adult most of us desire to have. Somewhere along the road, possibly middle school or high school, our confidence goes awry. We lose a little bit of ourselves. For me, I lost a lot of myself. Since my addiction I have struggled to find that confidence in me. The piece of me that just didn't give a damn what others might think. I wanted to find that and just be me again. I started to find it through running, then a little more through triathlons but it just didn't seem to do the trick. I still felt I wasn't quiet for-filling something.

It wasn't till I found Crossfit that I started to feel that confidence return! Crossfit fills that void.I haven't felt this great about myself in years. In my past my addiction took over me and until I started doing Crossfit I didn't realize how much it still did. Since Crossfit I have been able to focus all that energy I put toward my addiction and focus it on something more worthwhile and healthy. I am finally taking care of ME, and not worrying about whose watching on the outside.
There is always a young lady who runs my neighborhood. She always runs in just her sports bra and shorts. I watch her not with jealousy or envy but with one thought in my head "You go girl, someday I will rock my sports bra attire too".  I NEVER in a million years would go to a gym and just wear a sports bra and shorts, never the less run my neighborhood wearing it. In fact putting on a pair of shorts was often hard for me. I just never felt comfortable. BUT this past week, I didnt think twice about it. I rocked the sports bra without a care in the world. My point is not to say I am flaunting my stuff, my point is that we spend so much of our lives worrying about what others think.  Can you name an entire day or week where someones opinion didnt affect you? Most likely most of you cant. If you can, good for you, you found that confidence that we all seem to lose somewhere along our life path. I can finally say I am almost there. I am back to my childhood, dont give a damn, attitude. Honestly, I like it. I haven't been happier.

So live everyday like the only person to impress is yourself. Be that confident remarkable person you know you are. I found a quote that from here on out I believe we should all live by and I will leave you with it today.....

"If we always care about what others think, we will always be their prisoner"

Yours Truly, Crossfit Confident
Samantha

Crossfit injury pervention

Hey everyone, Yes I know its been a few weeks. I have had a busy schedule these past 2 weeks but I am now back on track.

As all you Crossfitters know this weekend is the Crossfit Games Regional competition. Our very own Coach, Meg Kriff, was one of the few selected to go, representing North Country Crossfit. :)
With all the training that goes into the games its a wonder we don't see more injuries. Taking into account that most athletes that are selected to go have an extensive background in Crossfit, what is it, besides good form, that keeps them from injury?
After doing some research I found 3 main things that help keep these athletes in tip top shape. These components can be followed by any athlete, not just Crossfitters!

#1: Rest and Recovery!
 I put this one at the top of my list because for those of us that are die hard's, REST is a concept that doesn't come easy. We have all done it, hit a wall. Where we train so hard, for so long that our bodies just give out. We get fatigued and miserable. Then our form starts to give way and al
l of a sudden... OOPPS!! I pulled a muscle. That wall you hit, its your body telling you to REST! Rest and Recovery actually increases the quality and quantity of training. A rested body is a happy body.  We can only push ourselves so far. Now this isn't giving you all out leeway to stop working out for a month. I am saying, listen to your body. We all need at least a day or two of rest a week.

#2: Nutrition
Yup there it is again. That damn word we all hate! But the funny thing is what we eat plays a major role in how we perform. Do you think those athletes are scarfing down donuts before they hit the box? I dont think so. Most likely they have built a healthy structured food regimen all the way up to leading to the games. Food can have major effects on us. For example, that doughnut we were just talking about, what effect do you think would have on your body if you ate it just before a workout? Truth is while sugar can give you a  dose of energy, it also burns quickly, causing you to feel sluggish later on. Probably wont benefit you during your workout. Eat healthy nutrient dense foods. A rule of thumb I have been following lately is "If it has a shelf life, don't eat it!" I keep my fridge stocked and my fruits on the counter at an arms reach. 

#3: Gradual increase in time and intensity
I highly doubt any of the Crossfit athletes went out in the open and just decided they were gonna kick ass at it and make it to Regional's. There was training involved,  slow and gradual training. Nobody can one day just bust out 20 muscle ups! That takes some practice and strength.More people injure themselves by not being patient enough to slowly work there way up in weight or distance. So my recommendation, have a goal in mind. A realistic goal, and take your time getting there. You wont become an elite athlete overnight.

The myth about getting "Bulky"

Since my blog on April 11th about gaining a few pounds, I have had a lot of questions regarding bulking up! Many woman are afraid of this. They feel that by lifting they are going to get "bulky". I am not going to lie, I had this same mentality for many years. I thought if I lifted anything more than an 8 lb free weight I would get huge. The reality is YOU WONT! 

Women genetically are not inclined to get big. In fact, even men have to work hard at gaining muscle. Men do have a tendency to get bulkier than women because of their testosterone levels. Women carry about 15-20 times less testosterone than men. Testosterone is an anabolic hormone which means it causes muscle gain. Women carry larger levels of catabolic hormones which causes the breakdown of muscle tissue. Therefore, making it a lot harder for women to gain muscle. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catabolism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabolism

 <--- Not bulky    Bulky --->







For those of you that find the left picture bulky, I am sorry but I cannot help you there. To me I see a healthy and lean individual. The person on the right, well thats another story.  

Women have this perception of being bulky because all we ever see is the chemically altered bodybuilder (ie. the women on the left). These women are full of supplements and/or steroids. I am not knocking what they do, whatever floats your boat, but honestly these supplements take what makes a man bulky and put it into those ingesting it. So if you take what makes a man and put it in a women, you are gonna get a man! That's why they look big and bulky like a man. Women NOT on supplements or steroids will build muscle but without those high levels of testosterone, you wont get big, you will only get toned. The easiest way to explain it is like this, think of muscle hiding under all that fat. All you are doing when you get "toned" is stripping away layer by layer of fat to show more muscle. Essentially women look leaner when they lift. 





Any type of training, Such as Crossfit, that lasts longer than 60 seconds per set stimulates a cardiovascular response from the body and the release of glucocorticoids, a hormone that helps in the breakdown of muscle tissue. Therefore, as long as you are cautious about the reps and time frame of your workout you cannot bulk up. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucocorticoid


I say I would rather have a healthy lean body rather than a giggly one. Do not pay attention to the myth of becoming bulky because scientifically its impossible. 






I am a women who for almost half her life worried about her weight. I currently weight the most I ever have (besides pregnancy) and I feel great. I walked into my doctor today and got on the scale. Normally, even though this sounds crazy, I would have to get on the scale facing the other way so I couldnt see the numbers. I was that crazy about weight that I couldnt bare to see it. Today, I didnt feel the need to do that. I was proud of my 5 pounds gained. That for me is a BIG win! 

Yours Truly, Crossfit toned,
Samantha

The effects of stress

Stress! The word we sometimes over exaggerate or in some cases ignore. Either way, it can have a big affect on our daily lives.

In the coming weeks I will be finishing up my junior year of college. That means professors cramming projects and tests. On top of that I have a 3 year old, who is definitely going through the terrifying three's and a household to take care of.
I swear I am not whining,  this is my stress.  I assure you I realize that there are people out there with A LOT more stress than I have. I am just simply making a point that we all have stress, whether it be minor or major! Its about how those stresses affect us.

This past week I started to feel really lethargic, insomnia set in, my body started to ache all over, I felt extreme anxiety, and worst of all I noticed my Crossfit workouts were dwindling.  I couldn't lift as much and I got tired faster. What was going on? Stress and anxiety, that's what!!

According to mayoclinic.com, the above are all symptoms of stress and if you are not careful it could seriously affect your health. Things such as heart health and high blood pressure (some call the silent killer) could affect you. Read more here, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-symptoms/SR00008_D

Funny thing is, working out and being active can help these symptoms and in some cases eliminate them. Crossfit and other activities can help you manage your stress's. According to webmd.com endorphin's, released while working out, can trigger a positive feeling in the body like morphine, hence the addiction LOL! Anywho, much more scientific info is available at the following site. http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression
But you get the idea. Working out can manage these stresses but over doing it can mean an overdose. So you must take it slowly and as your body allows especially under special circumstances such stress. 

My suggestion and what I am doing for myself is, listen to your body. My body aches and my workouts suck. I love Crossfit and for a week I haven't been, for a lack of better words, "haven't been feeling it". So I am taking a couple days off, and rebutting my system.  Sometimes that's what my body needs!

Let me remind you that this isn't an excuse to stop working out! This is a few days of rest (ie. 2 days) that will help me get back in the game. Completely forgoing Crossfit or any type of workout is not an option.  We all need this for everyday life and health. Stress is temporary.  Handle it as it comes not as an everyday excuse!

So I leave you with this, listen to you body BUT do not make excuses!

Yours truly, stressed Crossfitter,
Samantha

Thoughts and Prayers are with Boston!

A day that was to be a day of accomplishment and excitement has turned into terror. Two bombs detonated at the Boston Marathon finish line today injuring many and killing at least 2. People from all over the world come to run this race yearly. I am very saddened by this event and wanted to let everyone know that my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected!