Cue Pukie

Today I agreed to meet a client outside the gym for a 1 mile time trial. Running a mile without stopping is a goal of hers and we needed a benchmark time. I haven't run in weeks, maybe even months. I was a little nervous. Now that I am pregnant my focus has moved from keeping the intensity to being able to breathe and talk through the workout. If you are a CrossFitter you may know that recovery is not just something that happens after you blow through your wod and fall flat on your back gasping for air (passive recovery). Recovery is continuous. Active Recovery occurs during a wod. Its the ability to resist the urge to rest, keep the muscles moving after the lactic acid sets in, and stay in that high intensity zone.  I spent 2 years training my active recovery and its still not up to par with the fittest woman on the planet. 

Going into the general science behind active and passive recovery is an entirely different blog, so I'll just get to the point of mine. My active recovery currently sucks! 2 minutes into our run I was gasping for air, I couldn't get a deep breathe, and I questioned my ability to finish the mile. By the 4th minute all was well. My heart rate regulated and I was able to coach my client though the run. We finished the mile in just under 11 minutes. This summer I hit a PR of 7:20 for my 1 mile (these legs were built for strength, not speed) so 11 minutes was a good pregnancy pace for me. At this point I was warmed up and ready to really go. I took the second mile on by myself finishing in 9:15. By the last 100 meters I was breathing heavy, and my active recovery felt horrible. I blame the diet, extra blood supply and slowed circulatory system, but mostly the diet. 


So, 2 mile wod behind me and someone asks how it felt. Cue Pukie the clown. An hour later and I still want to puke. Intensity or progesterone?

My Lump, My Lump, My Lovely Baby Bump

3 weeks, 6 days

9 weeks

10 weeks, 2 days

A Day to Day Murph

My days are spent forcing myself to put one foot in front of the other as if I were taking on "Murph". The most basic of tasks have become impossible to complete due to the relentless morning sickness I seem to be experiencing.


Up until this point I've managed to follow CrossFit Mom at least 3 to 4 times a week. Pre pregnancy, my daily goals used to consist of attempts for a PR or getting 2-3 wods in before the sun goes down.  Now, its a daily goal to get through just one wod, or even a warm up at this point. Kindel, my pregnant co-worker due 5 days after me, has been feeling great, craving meat, and aiming to do wods like Fight Gone Bad. I'm so jealous. I want to feel good and man do I want to eat clean. The BRAT diet suggested by my doctor is not doing it. Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast, Ha! Paleo that Robb Wolf. I find it helps to kick off my mornings with a PBJ and a banana then move on to a breakfast bread of some sort, and another PBJ (all before 8am). Mind you, I wake up at 5am monday through friday. By the time I get to the office someone has brought me cookies. I swear people get a kick out of seeing me eat like crap. I will continue to pray that in the next 2-4 weeks I can go back to paleo and give my baby and my body the nourishment we both need!


Not only do I get to eat all the disgusting things I craved when I couldn't have them, I also get to cherry pick my workouts (when I feel like doing one).  Below is a list of a few that I've done.


Advanced

3 rounds

20 push press #65

20 step ups

20 OHS #45 (I used #65 and it felt amazing!)


Advanced

5 rounds

10 squats

10 muscle snatch (I subbed #45 and upped it to #65 with a full power snatch...again, AMAZING!)

10 push ups


A Dot Com Wod

21-18-15-12-9-6

Pull ups (I butterflied until my hands bled then went to a kip)

Sit ups 

100ft Lunges

My PR on this is 9:05ish - But pregnant and needing air it took me almost 20 minutes to complete. 


If you know me, then you've seen my obsession with nutrition and training. The pregnant person writing this blog is not the Nikki Isbell you've come to know. Just ask her husband ;) Love you Honey!

Badge of Honor

Ripped hands and hard calluses are a badge of honor to all us die hard Crossfitters.  I'm on my second week of CrossFit Mom WODs. Even with huge modifications on my wods and intensity level that grandma could handle I'm still rocking my calluses.

And the icing on the cake...I'm doing butterfly pull ups now. Tried and true, butterflies take minutes off wods. In this sport every second counts, so improving my butterflies will be well worth it in 2011.

Today's WOD:

250m row
20 squats
250m row
20 push ups
250m row
20 pull ups
250m row
20 knees to elbows

We've been to the doctor and have seen our little Bumper's heart beat (warm fuzzies felt by every member of the family).  The morning sickness seems to last all day, but kicks in the worst around dinner time. I've lost some weight, but nothing alarming just yet. Paleo is out the window and it breaks my heart, but meat and veggies gross me out! I wish it was cookies that gave me the urge to purge.

Today my wod seemed to alleviate the morning sickness, but I had fried pickles for lunch. That might hurt later today.

Intensity vs Baby

Yesterday I registered for the CrossFit Mom forum. I started reading questions from other crossfitters just finding out about their pregnancies and decided I needed to chime in myself.

Me:
I'm now 6 weeks 4 days. I'm a CrossFit coach and up until two weeks ago was training for the 2010 Games. I competed in last year’s games and am having a hard time turning off the competitor in myself. Since last Friday I have PR'ed Fran, Filthy Fifty and DT. I've read the Do's and Don'ts for the first trimester, but didn't know if that is effective immediately or if I still have a few weeks left? Am I doing harm to myself or my baby? Any info is helpful. Thanks!


Andrea:
Hi Nikki. Everyone is different, and every pregnancy is different. I'm sure it will be difficult for you to take it down a notch, but remember, it's only for 9 months out of your life. At your level, you will be able to do more than an intermediate or beginner level person. However, you do need to watch the intensity. If you cannot catch your breath, your baby is not getting enough oxygen. Just keep that in mind. You can still do a lot, just back off the PR's for now. CrossFitting while pregnant is going to give you an advantage. You will be stronger after the baby, than you were before.

In the silence of an empty gym I attempted my first CrossFit Mom wod. I added a little to make it feel more like what I've been doing, but I didn't race the clock and made sure to stop and check my breathing after ever movement. Intensity is no longer the goal.

Advanced
15-12-9-6-3
(I added in a 400m jog. I got to watch the butterflies playing around me.)
Wall ball #14 (I used #20)
Step ups (I did step ups on a 24" box)

I followed this with CrossFit's dot com
Clean and Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
Hit a PR of 150!!!

Boiled Egg

I really thought I could avoid this part of pregnancy. I thought I might be one of those few women who wouldn't suffer from that all day urge to hug the toilet. Yesterday proved me wrong. Yesterday I knew I was within the percentage of pregnant women who do pray to the porcelain gods.

Since going paleo over a year ago I've had a snack everyday at 10am that consist of 1 hardboiled egg and a handful of almonds. Yesterday I gagged on the egg. I still choked it down, but it wasn't appetizing.

For dinner I always eat a load of veggies. By loads I mean 2-3 cups of stir fried broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, onions, spinach, and anything else green or leafy I can find in the veggie drawer. Well last night the veggies were officially gross. The only thing that really appealed was goldfish, fruit and chocolate chip cookies. I only eat meat because I know have to. This can't be good.

Scott did "ANGIE" last night. He killed it, PR'ed it, and hung out around the toilet for an hour before finally doing the tango with Pukie. Good times!

Because I couldn't avoid it for another year

All morning Wladi pestered the heck out of me, "What wod are you doing today. Can I go against you?" I deflected him by saying I was taking it easy this month and might just do some rowing. I figured that would be boring enough to scare him off, but not the case. He was motivated and determined. I was pregnant and hormonal. He recruited Dave to pick a wod for us. Lucky me!

Today's WOD, Filthy Fifty...Because I couldn't avoid it for another year. I haven't done this wod since December of 2008. I have dodge it on the dot com for almost a year, but Dave caught me in the nick of time. Filthy Fifty it is. I worried about intensity the entire 29 minutes and 55 seconds. The burpees were more of a walk out to laying on the floor for a few breathes then walk back up to a golf style clap. Sad excuse for a burpee. My body fatiqued a lot faster and recoved a bit slower. It almost felt as if lactic acid kicked in 25 reps too soon on every movement.

One Last Hoorah

Up until last week I was number one on the Benchmark Board for Fran with a time of 3:53. Kindel beat me by 1 second. 1 second hung over me and the number one spot. This was a spot on the leader board I worked hard for and didn't want to give up, especially without a good excuse. I do not encourage excuses, but being weighted down with hormones and cutting back on intensity for the safety of an unborn child is a pretty damn good excuse to suck at a WOD. Only problem is...nobody knows I’m pregnant yet. I had something to prove to everyone, and they were expecting it. Nervously, I committed myself to make one last attempt at a PR before fully cutting back on intensity. I asked Scott to come support and explained that I needed him there to scream in my face when I wanted to rest, to be my rock. I needed the hype of a crowd to feed off of, but didn't want anyone else to know what I was doing. Honestly, I was afraid to suck. Scott was the hype I needed. I set up my bar and deflected the questions of the unknowing. Dave and Robin both had cameras in hand and slowly the whispers made it obvious that everyone knew what was about to happen. Talk about pressure. I was nervous.

3...2...1...Go! 21 Thrusters without rest, 21 pull ups unbroken. Clock read 1:17. Now the 15's....Are you kidding me!? Everything began to breakdown. 3 sets of 5 on the thrusters and pull ups and I was on to 9's. My favorite round. 9 Thrusters without rest and 5 pull ups. 4 Pull ups to go, and all I want to do is lay down. Scott was yelling, everyone was staring. I look up at the clock in a split second and saw I was over 3:30. 4 pull ups and I fall to the floor. Dave yells out, "3:49!" Fran is mine once again!

CFCP athletes are making progress and I have a feeling it won't be long before I'm beat again, and I'm okay with that, but I will come back with something to prove. You can count on that!

Morning Sickness?

I was sick the entire 40 weeks with my first pregnancy. It was ugly. I was dropping weight in my third trimester and walked out of the hospital with 4 lbs to lose to get back to pre baby weight. Not good when you are supposed to gain at least 25 pounds while pregnant. I was grossed out by just about everything accept PBJ sandwiches or sour cream with a side of baked patatoes (real paleo huh!) I felt horrible the entire time.

I'm hoping this one will be different. I'm in a better place all around. I'm older, I'm in much better shape physically, and my diet is on point (minus all the halloween candy), and I have a major support system in my husband. I've read some great things about babies born to paleo mothers. Scott and I have always joked that we would one day bore the Superchild. Every CrossFit parent's dream right?

Today I am 5 weeks and 5 days. Uber early, I know, but I still feel good. Ok that's a little lie. I've been going to bed at Logan's bedtime and feel the urge to nap all day long, but I'm getting through my wods still. I fear next week. I felt a little queezy this morning then had a snack and it was gone. Next week the hormones will be higher...UGH! I'm really hoping my obsession with fitness and nutrition will help to ward off the evils of morning sickness!

Yesterdays WOD
800m Run
21 Press #70
800m Run
21 Push Press#70
800m Run
21 Jerks #70
Time: me - 16:18/scott - 14:58 (Dang it!)

Today I rest.

The News Spreads

Due to my not so sly actions on facebook the news has spread. Scott and I aren't ready to tell anyone yet. It’s still so early, but we are both busting at the seams with excitement. In my excitement I posted my status as, "Nikki Isbell knows something you don't know" and the responses flew in. We deflected them pretty well and threw off anybody in question. So we thought....When I arrived at work today the first thing Dave & Robin asked me was "So are you pregnant? I've had 3 people ask me if you were...I just had to ask?" My quick response was to laugh it off and blame it on rumor, but if you know Dave you know he is too smart for that. He said, "So is that a yes or a no?" I filled him and Robin in on the news and all Dave could say was how relieved he was because he thought I had broken up with CrossFit and didn't care anymore. For now our secret is safe.

My WOD
5 Hang Cleans #105
7 Ring Pulls (supine pull ups)
9 Box Jumps 20'
AMRAP IN 15 MINUTES
I got 11

11/2/09 WOD
3 Snatch #65
15 OH Squat #65
400m Run
Time: 17:35 - I'm feeling much better!

...and baby makes 5!

Monster Energy drink every day for a week, increase in my cup size, and the extreme urge to curl up under my desk and take a nap. We saw the signs, but it took 4 test to confirm it. We're having a baby....Shocked and thrilled!

I immediately started researching CrossFit, pregnancy and paleo. I came across CrossFit Mom and another very helpful blog created by one of CFHQ's traveling Trainers. I looked through a few of the CF mom wods and got a little disappointed. I'm a Games Competitor; I feed off moving heavy stuff and high intensity wods. Deadlifting a 1 pood kettlebell is hardly a workout, much less a warmup. But then again I'm growing a human inside me, from day one that's been a lot of work for my body. Reading over the trainer's blog was motivating. She talks about doing #185 deadlifts in a metcon wod during her 8th month. I love it. Got heavy or go home. She does remind us that its more about how your body feels than anything else. That's a given. So I'm going to try it, and I'm going to document my pregnancy and my crossfit here.

The first week of knowing wasn't pretty in the gym. I gave up my advocare supplements cold turkey, something I tried to do after the 09 Games and failed at. Now its my baby I have to worry about. So with an increased hormone level and drop off of supplements I've been taking for 2+ years the energy was low and the headaches painful. Everyone kept asking, "What wod are you doing today?" Kindel beat my Fran time by 1 second, and Dave could tell my head wasn't in the game. I attempted strength thrusters and every lift made my head throb. I took 2 days off over the weekend.