GRACEful Movements

I rested on Wednesday due to going to bed 1.5 hours late the night before. All day wednesday I felt as if I had pulled an all nighter. I never feel fully rested these days. By Thursday I was ready for my next WOD. For some reason I jumped on GRACE, as prescribed.

GRACE
30 Clean & Jerks - RX 95 lbs

This has always been one of my favorite WODs, but I don't have my log book with me so I can't remember my last time on it.  Yesterday I did it in 8:24. Probably should have rested more. I've ordered a heart rate monitor. I've always despised the things, but now I've got a purpose.

One of my clients is 27-29 weeks pregnant and she wears her heart rate monitor  every workout. It beeps when her heart rate is over 160. She does two thrusters, it starts to beep and she has to sit and rest.  I have a feeling this could be eye opening for me. I have another client that is a Labor & Delivery nurse and in class this morning I joked about eating 95 pounds of iron for breakfast. She then showed a huge concern for me and my lifting 95 lbs. I pointed out that I was lifting more before pregnancy and that this was taking it back a notch. Then I asked, "Back in the old days when women worked the fields and did a lot more manual labor than we do now, did they just stop when they got pregnant?" Something to ponder.

Exciting News

I can feel the baby moving. I've felt it for the past 2 weeks now (which is very early, but I'm super in tune with my body). I wasn't sure at first, but after a week of the flutters, I'm pretty sure Bumper is in there doing clean & jerks with the umbilical cord.  I wish Scott and the kids could feel it too. Its so amazing.

Food is still an issue. I've gained 5 lbs quick. This is something we celebrate in my house because my diet has changed so drastically and if I didn't get sick I'd straight up skip meals. I have to choke down breakfast and dinner, but for lunch I could eat an entire cow. I have an issue with sweets. I love them, always have, but usually have a goal that disciplines me enough to stay away from them. This morning I had eggs and ice cream for breakfast...Oops. I was making the ultimate birthday cake for Mekenzie with a 2 inch layer of cookies and cream ice cream in the middle. Well, who could resist a few spoonfuls when building something like that, especially when you aren't allowed to lick the cake batter due to raw eggs. I can't wait to eat the cake tonight....

To Scott, Love you like a fat kid love cake baby! 

Wall Balls + Wall Balls + More Wall Balls

Today's WOD:

KAREN
150 Wall Balls - Men's Rx 20 lbs, 10 foot target.

Sounds awesome right? Get ready to laugh. My time...24:21. I'm on the CFCP leader board for doing this one in 8:07 and the record is 5:51.

I took it in sets of 5. I had a workout partner on this one, so I sacrificed my time to show her the ropes. My step daughter, Mekenzie, was there by my side the entire time. When I stopped to catch my breath with my hands on my hips so did she. When I went for a drink of water, so did she. At one point I guess my rest time was taking to long and she starting throwing down the burpees.  Kids are fun. Its nice to slow down the wods and enjoy them the way kids do.

I followed my wod with a big bowl of paleo pot roast. Beef, cabbage, carrots, onions & garlic over quinoa. It feels good to actually enjoy veggies again. For breakfast I had a 3 egg, onion and zucchini scramble with cheese and avocado on top.

I Be Up in the Gym Just Workin' on my Fitness

I must be feeling better. I've been eating better and doing more on my weekends than just lounging on the couch eating junk food. Although the temptation is strong, I just don't live a lifestyle that allows for that. I work, manage a household, and have kids. If there is ever any time left to lay on the couch it better be cuddled up next to Scott.

Today I took on the Dot Com as prescribed. Mmm it felt good. For a few rounds I actually felt Elite again.

5 Rounds
500m Row
7 Thrusters - 95 lbs
Time: 27:35 (Not that time matters at this point)

My pace was slow due to heavy breathing, have to make sure I can talk through a wod, but for the first time in a months I actually didn't fell like I was gasping for air. I felt like I could move smoothly through the wod. It feel great now.

We find out in 3 weeks if we are having a boy or a girl. We cannot wait.

This video is the teaser for our Fran Challenge starting next weekend. I was just over 5 weeks pregnant in it. Shhhh, don't tell my doctor.

Wonderful WOD

On saturday I agreed to take Logan on a hike. I guess I was feeling a little ambitious when I put the offer out there forgetting how easily I wear out these days. After coaching 2 classes, doing a few loads of laundry and grabbing 2 lunches from Quiznos (yes 2 @ 2 separate locations) I was ready for some down time on the couch.  Well 7 year olds don't do nap time. In fact, they move nonstop from the time they wake in the morning until the second their eyes shut at night. So I was forced to stand by my word.

We loaded the backpack and drove across town to the Greenbelt. Last time we had done this was 2 years ago after a huge drought, it was dry as a bone. This year the water was flowing and Logan wasted no time "slipping" in.  I figured this was my chance to head home and have some down time, but no. Cold and wet, he was still thrilled to be there. A passion for paleontology, Logan was sure dinosaurs once roamed this area and every rock tells their story. We then took to the trail to see what we might discover.



Slapped across the face with Cedar Fever, pregnant and exhausted I started to look around me and found enjoyment with what I was doing. It was good for my son, good for me and therefore good for the baby.  It wasn't as heavy or intense as the workouts I've been doing to take care of myself during pregnancy, but it was taking care of more than just my fitness. It nurtured my passion for parenting.

About a mile into our hike Logan said, "I just feel so good. Thank you for bringing me here Mommy." These are the moments we live for as parents.

I can't wait to bring him again.

Holy Hormonal Headache Batman!

Monday started as every weekday does, slamming the snooze button for 10 more minutes of sleep at 5am. Shortly after starting my 5:30am class I felt my head split in 4 different directions. Pregnancy headaches blow the socks off any headache I had before baby. They start in the back of the neck and pull all the way through the eyeballs. The pressure is unbearable making my eyeballs feel as if they are going to pop out of the sockets. And monday kicked off the first of 3 days with one...Oh joy!

Some relieve was found halfway through my first workout of the week. Endorphins and increase in oxygen must have chased away the hormones throbbing in my head. The workout was tough. I ventured off the CFmom site and wrote my own wod. I was craving deadlifts.

5 Rounds
500m Row
30 Knees to Elbows
15 Deadlifst (155 lbs)

It took me 45 minutes to get through 4 rounds so I called it a day there. Knees to Elbows have never been my first pick for ab work but they seem to be the only core movement I can do now that I am in my second trimester. After 2 rounds of them I started asking if it was really too late to lay down and do some good ole sit ups. Out of desperation I did my last 30 sit ups on a stability ball. After a year of GHD sit ups these were a joke, but baby was safe.

This was one of the hardest workouts I had done since the first few weeks of my pregnancy. Even without the intensity it still kicked my ass. So much so, I felt like crap the next day, struggled through my classes and left work early for a good nap on the couch. Could be the hormones, could be the workout. Who knows.

My next workout didn't happen until Thursday. I had to literally squeeze it in between coaching the 5pm and 6pm class.  A quick warm up and I was off.

Hopper Deck, 9 of Spades
21-15-9
Box Jumps - 24 inch step ups
KB Swings - 16 kg
SDLHP - 65 lbs

This was the third workout for the Southwest Regional Qualifiers last May and my time was 5:26. My second attempt at this wod was in September and my score was 4:58. Thursday I completed the wod as prescribed with a whopping time of 10 something. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to going backwards.

So heavy deadlifts and lots of glute/ham action my lower back was on fire. If my day permits I'll probably take a long row later. Still trying to hit my 4 workouts per week.

Mission Accomplished

Even though I rested yesterday due to complete exhaustion and a full day at work, I still managed to hit my goal of 4 workouts this week. It feels so good I want to aim for 5 and hit it again tomorrow. I know, I know, getting a little ahead of myself from my endorphin high.

Today's workout
30-20-10
Box Step ups
Back Squats #75
Ring Dips (the enemy! I hate them...)

I really miss deadlifts. Since CrossFit Mom seems to avoid them, maybe I'll create my own pregger wod with them next week.

My diet is still a little dirty. I have to talk myself into eating eggs and veggies don't exist anymore. I don't drink milk and I'm not supplementing my calcium. That can't be good. I want to eat the heck out of bananas with peanut butter, watermelon, and malt-o-meal. Not all together of course! Its not the way I used to eat but it beats the heck out of fast foods and sugars. I ate out every day last week, but this week the most I've had outside my kitchen was a vanilla Latte.  Is there hope for paleo in my near future? I hope so, this isn't how I planned to do this. I am taking 6 Omegas per day with my prenatal vitamins. I feel good about this combination.

My Struggle

Since late 2007, when I started CrossFit, I've done nothing but more forward. My token term has always been, "Another day, another PR." Although I'm thrilled to be right where I am at this moment in my life, I struggle daily with the moving backwards physically. It took my doctor forcing me to take 2 weeks off of workouts to let go of the intensity and now I have no issue with that, but watching my clothes shrink and my PR's (personal records) walk away is hard. Yes, its for a greater cause and my baby is worth every ounce of crap I feel right now, but the mental struggle still sits there in the pit of my gut.

Looking over other CrossFitters and watching them grow as athletes excites me to no end, but its a depressing thing to know I'm currently at a stand still. I'm a beast inside, I play to compete. I have a free ticket right into regional qualifiers this year and since taking a month off after the games I've grown tremendously as an athlete. The power of rest is unbelievable. CrossFit HQ, can I take a maternity rain check on my free ticket? Yes, I knew you'd say no and I'm fully prepared to kick ass after my baby is born and earn my ticket, again. See you in 2011.

To fuel my soul I've volunteered to judge at the Central Texas Sectionals in March. I've been coaching sectional hopefuls here at CFCP for a few weeks now and have found that my passion for this sport has not struggled like my physical abilities. Competing or coaching, I'm still a beast.

Nikki Hall ... [wmv] [mov]

Hello Belly!

I have officially survived the first trimester and said good bye to the morning sickness and hello to the belly!  Last week I started feeling a little better and made a plan to attempt to get back to working out and eating healthy starting monday. I even told my husband of my plans in hopes that he might be able to encourage me if I felt the urge to slack off.  I want to be back to the real me with in a few months of having the baby, but the more days I go without working out the further away that goal seems to get. And the thought of keeping up with my fitness and 2, sometimes 3 kids is pretty scary. So for now all I can do is take it one day at a time.

MONDAY

Advanced

21-15-9

Push ups

Lunges (per leg)

Hang power cleans #75

TUESDAY

Advanced

3 rounds

21 lunges (per leg)

21 step ups

Row 500m

WEDNESDAY

Advanced

5 rounds

10 shoulder press #75

10 pull ups