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.