Born to CrossFit

Happy Eater

2011-02-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe our little guy is 6 and a half months old already. Knowing this is our last one, Scott and I find Traeger's milestones to be bittersweet. We are happy he is growing and developing on target yet we joke about pushing him down when he starts to crawl (we would never follow through!)

One milestone that cannot come soon enough is getting this kid weaned off the breast. I am committed to sticking it out until he is 12-13 months old, but I've had enough! I've been struck with mastitis, a breast infection that resembles the flu, more times than I can count. This busy wife, mother, & crossfitter doesn't have time to be down!

Steps we are taking towards weening. I started with Baby Led Weaning. It basically skips all the purees and jumps right into serving baby chunks of food. Yes, there is lots of gagging involved, but if you read the book, you will understand how gagging is safe and part of the learning process. At 4-5 months Traeger enjoyed teething on steamed zucchini quarters and broccoli, but after he threw up the skins in his sleep I switched to purees. I still offer him slices of raw and steamed fruits and veggies, (its always a mess so expect to change clothes, a bib won't help) but I serve him purees for dinner every night. In the next few weeks I will start adding in a lunch serving of purees and whole foods.

Things I've noticed in Traeger:
-His hand to mouth coordination seems skilled just beyond his age.
-He is making attempts to use his pinchers to pick up small foods (a skill usually developed at 9 months)
-His ability to move food around in his mouth using his tongue is also just beyond his age level
-He loves all veggies and wants to try everything. I hope that never goes away!

Whole Foods He's Tried:
-4-5 months Zucchini, Carrots, Broccoli, Bell Peppers, Apples Spears, Sweet Potatoes, Pickles, Lemons
-6 months Pear Spears, Cheerios (out of town),
-7 months Peas, Pot Roast, Diced Pears, Yogurt drops, Crackers & Pitas (I aim to be gluten free, but I get tired and it keeps him entertained. Its his 15% cheat!)

The Book is very one sided and anti purees. On the contrary, the purees could make many arguments against the whole foods, as there are always two sides to every story. I decided to go with both and tested out what worked best for Traeger and myself. Its still a learning process for both of us.

Double Bag 'Em

2010-10-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

One of the only complaints I hear from women losing weight is how sad they are to see their boobs washed away with the inches. Personally, I was never bothered by this. In fact, I took pride in the two fried eggs I dropped in my bra everyday. It meant I was leaning out, it meant I didn't have to worry about painful bouncing during my run, it meant I could wear those cute little sports bars that serve no other purpose than to cover the nipples.

Shortly after TW (Traeger Wayne, aka "T Dub") was born I went from fried eggs to watermelons overnight. To my husband they had porn star quality with a trigger happy defense reaction. Go near them and pay the consequences. While most women would think that having boobs and losing weight is great, I find them to be uncomfortable and in the way. Pushed to the back of the drawer are my cute little, nipple covering sports bars. Make way for the over the shoulder boulder holders, oh and double bag them please! Two bras are tighter than one. Let's just make sure those bad boys are tied down tight, leave the bouncing for the bumper plates.

A concern for many new workout mommy's is whether or not lactic acid will have a negative effect on the quality of their breastmilk. I've read that many moms have to "pump and dump" after their workouts because the lactic acid released from their muscles during workout compromises the flavor of the breastmilk causing their baby to reject the boob. Fortunately, TW and I do not have this issue. I've been through some high intensity workouts, called "TIME" and still gasping for air stuck him to the breast. He feeds and mommy partakes in active recovery.

I enjoy breastfeeding because it is so healthy for TW, its the only time I am forced to slow down during the day, and these growth hormones are doing wonders for my oly lifts. I don't enjoy breastfeeding because these boobs slow me down, I am the mercy of TW's 2 hour feeding schedule, society has painted boobs as sexual play toys making public feedings slightly uncomfortable (I'm over it, are you?!) and holy moly it hurts when a barbell makes contact with the under side of my utters. Never the less, I will continue to breastfeed until TW is getting 100% of his nutrition from solids, God help me...

My safe for breastfeeding supplement list:
1 Tbsp sauerkraut, (fermented foods)
Vitamin D
Prenatal Vitamins
4 tsp Omega 3 Fish Oil (SFH Clinical Strength)
Multiple Tbsp Coconut Oil
An occasional small dose of caffein (coffee or spark)
(I plan to implement digestive enzymes soon)

The Uphill Chase is On

2010-10-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

I'm too busy to even see straight at this point. I miss blogging and there is always so much I want to write about, but my list of priorities over flows daily leaving the blog out of the picture.

I saw my OB at 6 weeks postpartum and the news was good. No evidence of the hernia! Cue the sound of dropping bumper plates, because this CrossFit Mama is ready to throw down on some olympic lifts, and make it heavy please!

I starting working out at 5 weeks postpartum and it sucked. I struggled to get through 10 push ups. Even foam rolling killed me. Every workout was (and still is) an uphill chase for an old PR (personal record) . I started following CrossFit main site wods, but after a few frustrating weeks changed my focus to more technique and strength. I am currently following Coach Burgener's 12 week program and have seen huge gains in my olympic technique. I've never been so excited about a heavy snatch! As for strength, it practically doubles weekly. I like to think its due to my body being a super factory to the best growth hormones out there...BREAST MILK. Last week (12 weeks postpartum) I achieved my first postpartum goal, I cleaned 150 pounds. Next goal is a 250 pound deadlift, to be tested in 4 days..crap!

Traeger is growing fast, as he should, the dude eats every 2-3 hours. He is 100% breast fed and thriving in the 75-90% on height and weight. At just about 3 months old he is not sleeping through the night, but giving me a few 4 hour stretches. I get up everday at 5am to coach, so the nights are pretty short, but I wouldn't change anything. I am head over heels in love with him and refuse take any of his stages for granted. Honestly, he's already growing up too fast.

Between the workouts and the breastfeeding, I have the appetite of a teenage boy. Nutritionally, we've gone back to paleo. (Loosely, its hard to keep enough quality sourced protein in stock at our house and I want to eat all the time! I think I could eat a whole chicken in one sitting every day.) I have 5 lbs to drop me back at my pre-pregnancy weight, but I'll probably hold on to that as long as I hold on to these over sized milk jugs. I haven't lost any weight since 2 weeks postpartum, but my body proportions have changed significantly helping me back into those pre baby clothes. With all the strength training I'm not at all surprised in the numbers on the scale.

The biggest loss in my training is my core strength and ability to do double unders. Its not at all like riding a bike!

HEALING

2010-08-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

Shortly after bringing Traeger home Scott was scheduled for surgery on his bicep. The day of surgery I woke up with a temperature of 103.5. Breast feeding felt like running a marathon with the flu and I couldn't stand up long enough to change a diaper. Painful! I called my OB who diagnosed me with Mastitis over the phone and sent me to the pharmacy for antibiotics. While my mom helped me at home, Scott went off for surgery and was gone all day. He then spent the following 3 days sleeping and recovering. Just as I started to feel better I woke up with another 103.9 temperature and Traeger's eye was glued shut. The entire Isbell house was in bad condition. My father-in-law drove me to the doctor where they diagnosed me with Mastitis from over productive clogged milk ducts, as if engorgement wasn't painful enough. A few delirious hours later my mother-in-law drove Traeger and I to his pedi where he was diagnosed with conjunctivitis from a clogged tear duct, eye gel for him. A week later we are all healthy, except for Scott who cannot lift anything with his left arm, but it is on the mend.

Traeger is thriving and just under 10 lbs at 3 weeks old. He eats, sleeps, poops, eats and eats. Sometimes he gives me a 3 hour stretch at night without eating. He's already holding his head up and making attempts at rolling over. BEAST!

I lost 23 pounds in the first 2 weeks, but an holding onto the last 8. I've lost a load of muscle and gained a ton of mush all over. I have a strong urge to get back in the gym, but I'm also filled with anxiety. Call it hormones, call it fear, call it self doubt, whatever it is I have no idea how I'm ever going to be the crossfitter I once was. Yesterday I rowed 1k x 3. No time element with as much rest as needed, and boy did I need it! Its going to be a long road to the massive goals I've set for myself. Will I be able to do it and balance a growing family?! I've started back at work and am loving every minute of coaching. Traeger and Scott are enjoying it too, but it certainly adds to the balancing act.

A HUGE Thanks to everyone at CrossFit Cedar Park who has brought us food over the past few weeks. It helps out in more ways than one!

Pictures!

2010-07-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

From Welcome Treager Wayne Isbell

Check out Traeger Wayne's super special Birthday party with all his family!

(More blogging to come, but this kido eats every hour! Born to be a CrossFitter!)

Happy Birthday to Our Son

2010-07-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Quick update:
Traeger Wayne Isbell was born at 9:49pm on July 13, 2010. He weights 8 lbs and 8 oz and is 21 inches long. During one contraction I gave my first 3 pushes and he was out! Sub 5 min pushing, a crossfitter's dream, right? Traeger came out with a strong set of lungs and a head full of black hair. I'll get pictures posted shortly, I'm on my phone and it's not letting me upload pics to blogger.

Shortly after labor we were joined by our parents and siblings. It was amazing to see the love and happiness on Logan's face as he held his baby brother for the first time. Scott and I cannot wait for Mekenzie to meet him.

And Now For the Hard Part

2010-07-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

Early labor started around 3:00am. Just some contractions every 15-30 minutes. At our weekly doctor appointment it was confirmed that the baby had finally dropped and I was dilated to 3cm. I was so excited!

Scott and I are now home trying to get the house cleaned, laundry done and bags packed. Its not easy getting anything done when you have to stop every 10 minutes and wait out a painful contraction. Add a bored 7 year old who doesn't understand labor and things are just a little more complicated.

Also confirmed today was that Scott tore his bicep during a dead lift Monday morning and will require surgery in the next week...What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. Scott and I are good, we are strong and together we are a force to be reckoned with.

Now, Lets get this show on the road!

4 days...Or Not!

2010-07-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

So I guess an update is way overdue. I am currently 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Three weeks ago I was dilated 1cm, today I am still only at 1cm. I've tried EVERYTHING to help things progress, pull ups & crossfit, walking, massages & pressure points, fancy oils & spicy foods, and some other obvious, yet unmentionable cures. Today I've come to terms with the idea that going beyond my due date (July 11th) is my genetic curse (much like the varicose vein). Both my mom and my aunt were sent home after pitocin failed to jump start labor for them, and I was 13 days late to deliver my first child which was a scheduled induction. My doctor has set an induction date for July 16th. 2010 CrossFit Games Opening Day baby! What a change from where I was at this point last year!

I'm still working and taking care of the daily life in the Isbell house. Every time I vacuum I think, "This will be the last time I have to do this before we bring the baby home." I think Scott feels the same way about mowing the lawn. We are both looking forward to heading to the hospital as if its going to be an all inclusive vacation at some fancy resort. But at this point, getting Traeger out and myself back will be more enjoyable than any dreamy get-a-way.

And here's the awful picture of me right out of bed at 39 weeks pregnant. My weight gain is slightly over 30 lbs. I quit paying attention.

Weighted Pull Ups

2010-06-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

In a desperate attempt to induce labor (and prove that I was still a little crossfit) I knocked out 4 sets of 5 pull ups. Half kipping and half butterfly. I was so sore the next day!

Watermelon Thump

2010-06-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Thirty seven and a half weeks and all I can think about is how can I possibly carry this baby another two weeks? All my books and phone apps suggest that the baby is now the size of a watermelon. A watermelon! Everywhere I go I take my watermelon with me. I sleep with it, it gets in and out of the car with me, I can't even go to the restroom without my watermelon. Its becoming so much worse than any workout, I can't just put the watermelon down and call time after 20 minutes. When will it end...

Soon (I hope)! We saw the doctor today and I am dilated 1cm. One down, nine to go. That easy right? Not so much. I got stuck at 1cm with my first pregnancy for weeks and it took a lot of pitocin to progress from there, but Scott and I are doing all we can to get this this show on the road in the next week. I can't wait to see what color hair this active little guy has.

On a health note, my blood pressure is great, I only swell when I'm outside in this Texas heat, and even at 180 lbs my doctor is very pleased with my 30 lb gain. She did however, say my varicose vein goes down in history for one of the worst she has ever encountered. Thank goodness for my trusty support hoe. Now, I'm going to see if I can still bust out a few pull ups with my watermelon weight vest.

32 Days

2010-06-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've always been a believer of the golden rule, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." So with that I'll just blog my stats.

4 weeks & 4 days to go. (hopefully less)
27 lbs gained.
Traeger hasn't dropped yet. I could really use the extra lung capacity right about now.
Full nesting instinct has kicked in.

48 Days

2010-05-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

When I think about all Scott and I have to do in the next 48 days I freak the heck out. Six weeks and six days just isn't enough time for anything and it seems like everything is waiting for something else to happen. I'm the type of person that sees what needs to be done and tackles it (because when I allow it to wait it will never get done.) So here I am, waiting for baby showers, waiting for time in our schedules, waiting for a day when I'm less tired, and waiting for the damn nesting instincts to kick in. Tick Tock Tick Tock...

Crib Done - Need bedding
Car Seat - Just have to plug it into the car
Room Painted - Need decor
First load of 0-3 month clothes washed - Need to be folded and organized
Big Brother Ready - But is he really ready?!
Little Sister Ready - Does she even have a clue?!
Mom Ready - OH MY GOSH I feel like I've been pregnant forever!
Dad Ready - Ready! He misses my cooking the most.
Traeger Head Down - 48 more days to cook.
25 pounds gained - GOAL! I can stop there, right?!

I wish I had more to blog about, but our world revolve around what happens in the next 48 days.

When I think about being pregnant for 48 more days I freak the heck out. Six weeks and six days feels like forever after spending the last 33 weeks drudging through what feels like the most painful workout ever. I haven't worked out since I gave myself the hernia trying to keep up with a class at CFCP. Same sob story from here. I hurt, I miss my workouts and I caught a glimpse of my butt in the mirror this morning...HOLY CRAP! It was the bathing suit nightmare all over again! If my shoes don't match or shirts are on backwards its because I am refusing to look in the mirror for the next 48 days.

I have to end on a positive note. It gets me through the days.

I love my husband. I love my kids. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my job. I love my belly. I love that I am growing a human being inside me.

Superheroes vs Pregnancy

2010-05-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks I've been wondering if Superwoman ever did a load of laundry or washed dishes? Did Wonder Woman managed a household, or chase her 4 year old through a crowded grocery store? How did any of them endure their workouts while under the spell of PMS. I'm sure these chicks were never crazy enough to procreate! Or were they...

For my first two trimesters I felt like a Superhero in the making. I pushed myself through pregnant workouts in hopes that after my baby was born I would bounce back with vengeance. As if the baby was going to be a sort of energy stick in some virtual game of CrossFit competition.

My entire pregnancy everyone told me to chill out, drop the weight, and not push so hard, even after I had dropped my weights and slowed my workouts down significantly. I thought because I had been to the CrossFit games, and because I was an Elite CrossFitter that I was unstoppable. Last friday my doctor and husband told me differently. The lump in my groin is indeed a hernia, ingrinal hernia to be exact. No more workouts, doctors orders. She said the hernia isn't bad and most people wouldn't have surgery on them. With that I asked, "What if I ever want to lift heavy weights again?" Her response, "You'll need to have the surgery then, but not until after the baby is born." Then she suggested I get a brace to help support the belly so it doesn't put more pressure on the hernia. And Scott sat next to her with his arms crossed and "I told you so" written all over his face...

After the hernia was diagnosed she took a look at my very purple varicose vein and asked if it hurt. Again Scott sat next to her with his arms crossed and"I told you so" written all over his face. Then he totally threw me under the bus, "She isn't wearing support hose," and then him and the doctor took turns lecturing me. With that the doctor sent us to a specialty shop for a belly brace and support hose.

At this special store I was fitted for a brace made for women carrying multiples and support hose that could strangle a boa constrictor. Since the varicosity is only in one leg I only have to wear one thigh high...what is the singular word for hose? Hoe?... Check out my sexy grandma support hoe! And putting the damn thing on is like running a marathon! The sales lady told me, "Now, put this on every morning when you wake up and don't take it off until you go to bed." I wanted to reach across the counter and strangle her with my new support hoe. We barely made it out of the store before I broke into tears. My sciatic nerves hurt, my hips are loosening up and all over the place, this hernia is painful, I have a golf ball of breast tissue in my arm pit, and my pubic symphysis is screaming. Now you want me to wear a hot, tight support hoe and belly brace?! Goodbye comfort, it was so nice to knowing ya. AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY CROSSFIT! My heart is literally broken over this one. I feel that mix of emotion a high school girl feels when her boyfriend breaks up with her.....

Twelve weeks off, plus six weeks to recover from labor, oh and with hernia and varicose vein surgery in mind I no longer have a comeback plan. But hey, there's always 2012.

Feeling Cramped

2010-04-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here is my 28 week picture. Traeger can know kick my rib cage. Oh boy! He's been gentle so far, but I know that will change quickly.

Knowing When to Slow Down

2010-04-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

Last friday I noticed some swelling to the left side of my pelvic bone. It felt like a bruise when I touched it and hurt like hell when I walked or moved my hip. By saturday I was worried. I searched the internet and found all the scary things it could be, hernia being the worst. I asked a few trusted people about it, and called my doctor this morning. There is no fever in it, and it seems to feel better since I've rested all weekend. There is still a small lump there, but looking down my left leg its more than obvious that I'm prone to varicosities. I'm still not sure what it is. I don't know if it was the deadlifts last week, or the pressure of the baby, but after many lectures from my husband and mother-in-law I have to put training on the back burner. My plan is to rest this week, enjoy our family vacation next weekend, and then start thinking of the type of training I can do for the next 10 weeks. I feel like an 80 year old woman, frail and fragile. This isn't me!

Look what I found! A picture of Jolie Gentry in her Third Trimester doing pull ups!

Training Update

2010-04-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Monday - Rest

Tuesday
push jerks #95, pull ups
10 1
9 2
8 3
7 4
6 5
5 6
4 7
3 8
2 9
1 10
Time - 16:00, I dropped down from gamers weight of #105 to Elite weight of #95 on the jerks. All pull ups still Rx. Hell ya!

Wednesday
21-15-9
Deadlifts - #135 (really starting to drop down on lower body heavy lifting)
KB Swings - 16kg
Box Step ups - Baby box, because the 20" box hurts my pelvic bones.
Time - 13:03

I had a great discovery on Wednesday during my warm up. If I do my push ups on the parallettes I don't have to sacrifice depth due to belly. I can actually get a deeper push up than before I was pregnant. Duh! I should have thought of this sooner.

Hosting a Mooch

2010-04-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

My energy had been higher through 22-25 weeks than in my first trimester. I was able to accomplish a lot in a day and although I was tired, I didn't feel the need to curl up under my desk and take a naps. I was completing 3-4 workouts per week which was my goal. Guess that was short lived.

Last week I hit a wall again. I have been so tired and the nausea seems to have reared its ugly head again. I'm pretty sure my baby is sucking every bit of life out of me. If it means he's going to be healthy, then he can have it all. I eat and an hour later I feel like I could devour a bear. I have to eat dinner right before I go to bed or I'll never make it through the night with out a snack. I've given up completely on being a paleo pregnant woman. Now I'm just counting down the days until I'm in charge of my appetite once again.

Traeger is getting bigger and much stronger. His body parts are starting to feel like knots from the outside. Last night he pushed out a foot, hand, knee or elbow and I pushed it back. He gave me a good tap back with it a second later. It felt like he was actually responding to my touch. Really cool! Sometimes I can feel where his backside is, but I'm not quite sure if he is head up or head down. Knowing that there is a sweet angel in there is my only enjoyment in this. I feel horrible saying that because I know there are women out there that will never be able to experience a child growing inside them. I'm just not good at being pregnant.

Wednesday's WOD
50 Ring Dips - Modified with my toes hanging on to a box
500m Row
50 Push ups - Rx
500m Row
50 Push Press - #65
500m Row
Time - 27ish

Washing my hair was a challenge, holy smokes!

Paleo Tree Hugging

2010-04-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Traeger isn't my first child. He's ranked as kido number 3 and pregnancy number 2. Why then does it feel like I'm learning everything for the first time? Researching bottles, rash creams, car seats and gadgets has never been so confusing. Today I stumbled upon "Baby-Led Weaning" and ...

Oh my gosh! This pregnant brain thing is killing me! First my boobs were more pregnant than my belly, then my ass started compensating for the weight balance of my front side, now my brain is pregnant. Something has got to give! I can't seem to keep a thought in my head for longer than 20 seconds. Last week I forgot to take Logan to his dental appointment and I unloaded an entire washer full of dirty dishes. Yesterday I tried to dial a number and actually typed it into a text message to my husband. I have on average 5 good brain farts per day. I feel like the biggest dingbat!

So where was I going with this Baby-Led Weaning? Okay, it's is the concept of letting the baby tell you when he or she is ready for solids and avoiding the purees, ice trays, blending, planning, and jars of processed crap. Feed the baby stalks of broccoli, let them teeth on bell peppers, offer the whole banana rather than mashing it up. I've spent about 5 distracted minutes researching this, and there isn't much info out there on it, so don't take my pregnant brained word for it. With high hopes to be back on my paleo routine as soon as my hormones allow, baby-led weaning fits right into my plans for Traeger.

More Reading on the topic:
Guidelines for implementing a baby-led approach to the introduction of solid food
What is Baby Led Weaning and is it the right approach to Introducing Solid Foods?
Baby-Led Weaning: Helping Your Baby to Love Good Food

I've also been researching cloth diapers. Scott hates the idea, but supports me fully as I explore the options of saving us money and hugging trees. He's is the kind of man that will use a fresh diaper to wrap around a poopy diaper, then place the "package" in a plastic bag tied in a few knots. Oh, and he keeps a t-shirt tied around his face while he's doing it. It really is a sight to watch! He is an honest to God poop-a-phob. The man can plug two blood gushing bullet wounds (entrance and exit), yet the idea of having to wash and reuse something that touched a little poop, well let's just say that my big tough man does have some fear. More to come on the cloth diapering, probably after Traeger is out of the new born weight.

My WODs

Monday
10 Rounds
10 Dumbbell Hang Cleans - #25's
10 Push-ups - Belly to floor (I had Scott watch a round to tell me if my range of motion was severely sacrificed due to the big belly. Guess the belly isn't as big as it feels because he said my depth was still solid.)
Time: 24 min

Tuesday
Rest - Moving lots of equipment around and Trigger Point Therapy. This has been amazing for those pregnancy related pains. It relieves my pelvic aches and pains and anytime I feel my sciatic nerve start to pinch it seems to cure it 100%!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

2010-03-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

...who is the prettiest pregnant woman of them all? *evil laugh*

Warning: The following is the true life experience of a pregnant woman's struggles in a dressing room. It is intended for a mature audience and may contain adult language. Some situations are highly graphic and may not be suitable for children under the age of 18.

Trying on bathing suits is much like a horror flick. The climax of the event was well foreshadowed when I asked the first sales associate to point me in the direction of the maternity department only to find out that they don't carry clothing for the expecting. "Surely I can still fit in a 'regular' bikini," I thought as I flipped through all the marked down designer suits on the rack. I was surrounded by "regular" women also shopping for a good sale.

I approached the fitting room with three different suits in hand as I reminded myself that I needed to show off my belly. I hid my first pregnancy because I felt "fat" the entire time. I regret that, so my first pick was a cute red and white bikini. Top first, so far so good. Now for the bottoms. A little snug, but I needed the full picture. I did a turn in the mirror....

HORRIFIED, I started to cry then immediately tried not to cry, but I couldn't stop the tears. What I thought was a cute red and white bikini now looked like blood splatter across my swollen chest and my even more swollen ass! Love handles spilled everywhere. It was as if Ralph Lauren himself had just slashed through me several times with a butcher's knife. Silently screaming for help I text Scott. My hero to the rescue! He threw a few complements my way giving me the courage to try on the next.

This was a sweet blue and white tankini. Top felt good. Gun shy I put on the bottoms. Room to grow, this is good. I took a look, snapped a pic and sent it to Scott. We decided it was a keeper. With a $120 mark down on a suit that will get me through the summer, Ralph and I are now friends again.

Saturday's WOD
2k row with a belly ache from bad food.

Sunday = rest day

Monday
21-15-9
Wall Balls - #20
Pull Ups - Still Rx, but getting harder.
Time 15:13

Tuesday
7 Rounds
3 Front Squats - #65 first 3 rounds, #85 last 4 rounds
7 pull ups - My weight is up #15 as of Tuesday, weighted pull ups are getting harder!
Time 12:14

25 weeks, that's 6 & 1/4 months, that's178 days, which all means 102 days until due date!!!

Craving Fran

2010-03-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Guess you could say I've been having some cravings. Yep, rich, super moist chocolate cake has been calling me name. I resist as much as possible because I know it will only make my joints stiff and leave my body asking for more sugar! It’s Crack! Why do I want to turn my nose up at every piece of meat that is put in my face and devour the crack?! I'm more than frustrated with my nutrition than ever...

Another craving my body has been screaming for...FRAN! It’s my favorite CrossFit workout and probably one that I am willing to put the most intensity in. Fran is short and to the point leaving one sore for days. On thrusday I gave in to the craving.

FRAN
21-15-9
Thrusters #65
Pull Ups
Time - 10:00min (Compare to 17 weeks pregnant, and 5 weeks pregnant )

I've been documenting my pregnancy on video via Fran. Every time I do the workout I set up the camera. (Think a progress of the pregnancy will ever be dot com worthy?) I tried to focus on not going below parallel on the thrusters, but keeping that as my only modification to the wod thus far. The pull ups were much harder and 65 lbs actually felt heavy. I'm losing strength quickly, but I'm pumped to come back better than I ever was once the baby is born. Later, I watched the video and realized that every thruster was Rx with the hip pocket below the knee crease...Oops. Scott's response, "You did Rx Fran in 10 minutes?! Nikki, that's my baby in there too!" Again, Oops. Baby Traeger is fine. Still kicking, harshly, and I'm feeling good.

Now, please pass me the chocolate cake!

Mama Bear

2010-03-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

March 13 & 14 Scott and I judged the South Central Texas CrossFit Sectionals and holy moly did that take it out of me. It was amazing and I'll have to save the details for another blog because I'm getting behind on logging my workouts.

The week after sectionals consisted of one wod and a lot of naps. I am also hitting a point that I physically cannot drop it like its hot anymore. Meaning, there is way too much pain with my round ligaments and pubic symphysis to go into a deep squat. At my last check up the doctor recommended that I stop squats and lunges all together. I will cut out the lunges and am working hard to keep my squats at or above parallel.

Last week's one WOD
15 Good Mornings #45
15 Push ups - Belly to ground
15 Overhead Squats #45
5 Rounds - Ouch! Last deep squats until the come back.

This week I'm feeling much more rested, but having issues eating meat (again) I'm back at the workouts.

Monday's WOD
2 plus hours of intensely raking our yard. Blistered hands, sore arms and back, but some good ole fashioned yard work is good for the soul. The whole family got involved in this one. Logan was right there next to me working hard to build piles that were fit for jumping in later. Mekenzie had her own little rake and did what she could to spread the piles out (its a learning process when you're only 3). And Scott was doing what he loved, yard work and family time. As hard as it was, it was uber rewarding!

Tuesday's WOD
I added pull ups into my warm up to make sure I could still do them with my 13 lb weighted vest (baby belly) and low and behold, it was my first PR (personal record) since November! 10 butterfly pull ups in a row. They flew with such grace. And weighted pull ups at that!
On do the actual WOD I've been wanting to do this one for a week now. I'm got it from the CrossFitmom.com. I'm going to rename it "Mama Bear"

5 Rounds
300m Row
9 Bear Complex - #65

Bear complex:
Deadlift, Hange Clean, front squat, push press (receive bar on back), back squat, push press (from behind the neck, receive in front) = 1.

I loved this one! It took me over 33 minutes and kicked my butt, but holy moly it felt good! I love the barbell…

After my workout I headed home and spent the next 4 hours deep cleaning my house and rounding up our kids. I think my caloric ratio hit a huge negative for the day. I was tossing and turning at 1am and the only solution was a cheese stick. Today, I seem to be starving every hour on the hour, growth spurt?

Check out my happy little housewife helper.

Traeger's Daddy is Our Hero

2010-03-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Kelley Hulsey

Just Tracking WODs For Now

2010-03-11T16:59:00.001-08:00

3/10/10 WOD
3 Rounds
500m Row
10 Clean to Overhead - #75
10 Pull ups
Time - 20:01

3/11/10 WOD
2k Row
Time - 10:46

My Modified is Their Workout

2010-03-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

Its finally Spring in Austin, TX...almost. Judging by many of the status updates on facebook spring fever has hit and is motivating everyone. Our house backs to a beautiful greenbelt full of trees, a park, tennis courts and loads of neighbors hitting the trails. It's the perfect setting for outdoor fitness with the whole family. Scott took Logan and Mekenzie to the park and I took my barbell and dumbbells to the trail.

My WOD
5 rounds
200m farmer's walk #25 DB's
10 muscle snatch #45 bar
10 lunges (per leg)
Time - 33:03, 5 rounds of anything sucks!

Never underestimate the power of a farmer's walk. Geez! That was the hardest part. I was on fire from my forearms through my traps. My muscle snatch was more of a hang snatch. I had it corrected by round 5. And workouts with lunges are getting harder for me. After some research my excuse to say lunges are hard and the reason I can't run anymore, my pubic symphysis hurts! It is the midline cartilaginous joint that connects the left and right side of the pubic bone. For females it is located above the vulva and for males it is above the "man unit". In females, the pubic symphysis is slightly movable for the birth of children. This means its one of those special places that has to stretch to allow Traeger out of the womb and into the world. Well my pubic symphysis is in pain all the time. I waddle not because I'm fat (no matter what the jealous ex wife says) but because it hurts to walk normal. I feel like I'm going to break in half. 123 days until my due date!

Halfway through my workout people at the park started asking Scott if I was training for an event. My response would have been, "Ha, ya, Labor! Doesn't every woman train for that?!" But Scott explained that I'm a CrossFit coach and this is a modified version of what I normally do. That's right park mom's, my modified is your workout! Wanna join me?

Logan and Mekenzie jumped in on my last few rounds. I enjoyed the company on those vicious farmer's walks, but the kids were quickly distracted by the urge to race each other up and down my 100 marked meters. As we finished and walked into our back gate Mekenzie exclaimed, "Good run Logan...Thanks for running with me." Scott and I looked at each other and just smiled.

Feelings Good

2010-03-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning Scott, his mother, and my mother and myself were awake before the sun setting up a garage sale. Scott took off for work at 7am leaving us ladies to wheel and deal the bargain hunters. I hate garage sales, but I enjoyed the company and extra spending money. It was quite the bonding experience for us three ladies, but then again we've yet to miss a beat in any of our blithesome communications from day one.

Saturday night was full on cheat fest! Pizza, Dr. Pepper, ice cream and brownies. I knew it would hurt, but there is just something about stuffing your face with my Honey and watching a movie. But, I felt it on Sunday. In the middle of the grocery store. I had a mood swing that almost knocked my face off! Nothing set it off, out of nowhere I wanted to break into tears. The true cause, Pizza has a higher glycemic index than most of the dessert foods we eat. A high glycmic index triggers insulin spikes in the body. I'm sure my insulin was off the charts! Insulin controls hormone levels. When the insulin drops, the body begs for more of the same crap for a quick insulin pick me up. If you give into the cravings you'll find yourself in a nasty cycle, aching joints (high GI also causes inflammation in the body) and mood swings from hell. My grocery store melt down was a direct effect of eating way too many sugary, empty carbohydrates. Mmm, pizza!

By monday, today, I'm feeling much better. My wod:

HELEN
3 Rounds
400m Run (Sub 500m Row)
21 Kettle Bell Swings - 16kg
12 Pull Ups - (Butterfly until the 3rd round. Had to kip. I'm also up 10 lbs so these are like weighted pull ups with an odd center of gravity.)

Time - 19:57 And I loved every minute of it! I was on fire today...But, my last time was 9:40. Double your pleasure, double your fun, right?

Time to find something healthy to eat. My taste buds are still under the control of my hormones. Ugh, I hate this part.

His Name is Traeger, Not "Oops"

2010-03-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

The 2009 CrossFit Games kicked off with 2 of my weakest events. I did everything possible to train my weakness and pushed hard on every step of the 7.1k run from Hell, but the back injury I developed during Regional Qualifiers was my Achilles' heel after the dead lift WOD. The months of intense training, body break downs, hardcore paleo, and emotional build up to the Games was something only the strong could survive. Top that off with a long run and heavy deadlifts, hind sight would suggest that being cut after the first 2 WODs was inevitable. Scott guided me like an angel through the mass of spectators after learning that I wouldn't be advancing into WOD three. It felt like a walk of shame, but the bright orange wrist band and large black numbers across my body indicated that I was a warrior. I choked back tears as I fell to the blanket surrounded by my supporters, my friends.

Moments after the sting wore off I smiled and said, "We're going to make sure I'm pregnant by next summer just so I don't have to go to the Games again." At the time I was not kidding. Even Tonya Wagner, 2009's Fittest Woman on the Planet told CFJ followers in an interview that she didn't want to do it again, post Games. I'm willing to bet she is hitting it hard and ready to take the title again this summer!

It took a few months to rest, recover and heal from the months of intense training after the Games, but when it happened I was in full swing again doing some pretty amazing things. Scott and I started to revisit the idea of me competing again in 2010. Three days after making the decision to go forward with Games training we were thrilled to find out that we were pregnant! This was in no way, shape or form a mistake. No accidents here! We called it in July of 2009 and God let it play out exactly to His plan.

So while all the CrossFitters across the world are training for Sectionals, Regionals and the 2010 Games, our little family is gearing up for Traeger's arrival. Scott is about to experience how little boys turn on the water hose as soon as you take their diaper off, Logan is about to learning that the miracle of life starts tiny and cries a lot more than he expected, and Ms. Mekenzie will one day realize that having a cop daddy and 2 brothers makes her one tough girl to date, but fills her with an overwhelming sense of love and security. As for me, looking back at my 8 years with Logan, I can only imagine what all I will learn from Traeger. We can't wait to meet him!

I Can't Remember How PR's Taste, But I'm Craving One

2010-03-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

Big. Slow.

When I think of myself in terms of Crossfit the words big and slow describe me best at this point. This week I've been doing a lot of thinking about how and when I'm going to be hard and fast again. This August I plan to start back where I left off last October. For some reason I keep running the same goals through my head...

*300 lb deadlift
*30 muscle ups
*body weight snatch (@pre pregnancy weight - 150 lbs)
*3:30 Fran

How long will it take me to build up to a point that these goals are even in my playing field again? Will I literally be starting from scratch? I've done my best to keep the muscle memory on the more technical lifts, but my workouts at this point are just to keep Traeger and I healthy through pregnancy, labor and delivery.

Its been months since my last PR. In the spring of 2009 I hit a point in my training that PR's came daily, "another day, another PR." And they weren't just personal records, publicly the numbers spoke volumes of my improvement and helped rank me with many other Games Competitors. In September of 2009 I hit a 333 Fight Gone Bad score, In October/November I took a CFCP record in Fran, DT, and Filthy Fifty. And today, I move backwards...Over and over and over again.

I day dream of popping off the belly, saying, "Hey Scott, hold this for me," and sprinting my heart out, flinging myself on the pull up bars and chunking around some really heavy weights. After that, I put the belly back on and continue enjoying Traeger's sweet kicks.

My all time favorite CrossFitter has always been Jolie Gentry. Watch this bad ass up against the men. This was one of the first CrossFit videos I ever saw. I had no idea who she was, but I thought what she was doing seemed impossible and way beyond anything I could ever do. Through out my games training I would jokingly encourage myself by saying, "what would Jolie do?" I just found out she too is pregnant and won't be competing in the 2010 CrossFit Games.

My Wods

Monday - In my living room with Mekenzie and Logan running around like crazy nut cases!
Advanced
3 rounds
20 push press #65 (Sub #25 Dumbbells)
20 squats
20 knees to elbows (Sub push ups)
(This felt like a warm up, but I felt a lot of pressure on my lower back)

Tuesday
Advanced
5 rounds
500m Row
Rest 3 minutes between rounds - While crunching the monthly CFCP numbers and attendance

Wednesday
Rest

Thursday
Advanced
21-15-9
Box jumps or step ups (Step ups!! Pelvic bone hurt the first round, but good after that)
Kettlebell deadlifts #70-100 (Sub #95 Barbell Deadlifts)
Pull ups (Mostly butterfly. First round sucked. Second round was in sets of 3 with one chest to bar!)

Are We There Yet?!

2010-02-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

I have made it through the first 20 weeks of this pregnancy. I'm officially halfway. Hah, its like saying you are halfway through "MURPH". There isn't a stench of motivation when you are fatigued beyond comparison with 10 rounds of "CINDY" and another mile run still breathing down your sweaty neck. But still, the show must go on.

I had a highly emotional day on tuesday. The slightest thought, comment, or even commercial will turn on the water works and send me into a blubbering mess. This is usually followed by a sloppy display of laughter at myself for becoming so soft. One discussion in particular really got my wheels turning, and the tears flowing (yes, I cried over CrossFit, huff.) Scott and I began to weigh the pros and cons of attending Hell's Half Acre, Southwest Regional CrossFit Games Qualifiers in May. Like I said in an earlier post, I have a free ticket to compete in this event because I was a 2009 competitor. Obviously I can't compete this year and have to kiss my free pass goodbye along with all my PR's (personal records). So I'm torn. I feel that even if I'm not competing I should be as much a part of this event as possible. But then again, is it worth the travel cost and physical draining on my pregnant body to watch athletes I've beat in the past break through the barriers? And that's where I sit...

All In A Day's Work

2010-02-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

Monday was exhaustingly awesome! I coached my 5:30am class, my bootcamp a few hours later and then Scott, Carson and I headed to Camp Mabry to drop in on a class run by Deric (the guy that knocked me out of #1 Fran and Fight Gone Bad). Its really cool to be able to experience CrossFit classes in other locations. Deric started us off with a 10 minute kettlebell warm up. Some might consider it a WOD. He led us through several of the better known KB tricks, swings, sumo deadlift high pull, and clean & press, but threw in a few new ones and some turkish get ups. I've only done turkish get ups a few times so I was skeptical to do this move while pregnant (starting position in laying on your back and it involves a lot of core strength.) My KB was only 12kg so I attempted a few with no issues. After warm up we started the WOD.

3-3-3-3-3

Clean & Jerk

Having not done a strength WOD in a few months I wasn't sure where my 3 rep max would fall. I've lost a load of muscle. I started with what I knew, 95 lbs from the floor to over head, standard jerk, with no issues. Feeling good I added 20 lbs. Three reps at 115 lbs and I could feel it in my lungs and shoulders. I had to use the Split Jerk to secure the 3rd lift in my set. I stayed at 115 through my remaining 4 sets. I tend to get Braxton Hicks contractions more often when I flex my abs or use my core.

Once I finished I heard grunts from across the gym. I smiled and thought, "That's my baby daddy!" Two of a kind we were heaving around the weights. Traeger's chances of being a firebreather are highly likely.

With just enough time to grab half my lunch I headed for a meeting with Dave. We met at a local high school to put a few of their athletic teams through a wod. Flying by the seat of my pants and on a half full stomach I demoed squats, push ups and then kipping and butterfly pull ups. We kicked their butts in a warm up and handed it to them in a body weight Fight Gone Bad style wod. It was amazing to work with such athletes. What an honor. I hope to see some of the girls this summer in the GirlFit classes.

Dave and I debriefed with one of the coaches and headed back to CFCP. I stopped to pick up Logan and have a 10 minute rest break on my mom's couch. What a day, and its not over yet. One more class to coach. Oh, and then there is the nightly mommy duty...homework, dinner, showers, reading and of course cuddle time.

My day started at 5:00am and didn't finish until 8:45pm. I've felt sick all day today. I took the day off and fit in a little nap. My pelvic bone feels like its going to split in half and its snowing...in Texas. I'm so over winter.

I just googled, "olympic lifting, pregnant" and have come to terms with monday's wod being my last heavy lifting day. Five months along, its time to slow down.

Olympic weightlifter unexpectedly gives birth to boy in gym while lifting heavy barbells

"A 22-year-old Chilean female Olympic weightlifter, Elizabeth Poblete, who competed for Chile in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was in a Sao Paulo, Brazil gym training for a competition by lifting heavy-weight barbells last week. On December 8th, as she picked up the heavy dumbbells, out popped out a bouncing baby boy, alive and thriving, even at 2.54 pounds in weight." Read the full article.

I also found this article interesting for another point of view, but I'm not taking any chances.

"While I was on the US Bobsled team, I was squatting 360 pounds into my fourth month. I was part of a study with the United States Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committees because there was almost no research on this kind of training. For the elite athlete, the medical advice has always been, go with what feels good. For the weekend warrior, we need to be more cautious." Read the full article.

Spontaneous Workout

2010-02-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

Logan let me sleep in until 9am on Sunday. What a blessing! After making him breakfast I rushed off to HEB to beat the crowd. On the way home I opened my sun roof and soaked in the morning sun thinking, "If Heaven were a temperature it would be 75 degrees." All I wanted to do was wake Scott up (who had worked until 3am the night before) and drag him to the back porch to share the beautiful day with each other. But, I wanted him to sleep more.

After unloading groceries I needed a break. I sat on the couch and in less than 5 minutes Mr. Traeger, aka Bumper, was awake and kicking. BIG KICKS! I put my hand on my belly and felt the kick!! I jumped up and started running to wake Scott, but he was getting up and met me at the door. I took him to the couch and put his hand on the spot. Kick, Kick! Scott's faced lit up and I started crying. I'm only 20 weeks, so early to be able to feel him, but even before we were married we would joke that we will bore the Superchild!

We decided to blow off house and yard work and go for a walk. Logan rode his bike and we followed behind on foot. The pace was pretty fast for a walk...at first. I was winded. It was a perfect sunny sunday wod. About 1 mile into it I felt my the round ligaments supporting my uterus pull. Ouch... Scott is planning a 10k fun run in the near future, and I was excited to walk the the first 5k with him. By the end of our walk I questioned my ability to complete a full 5k. I haven't been able to run in months due to ligament pain. I can snatch and clean & jerk 'til the cows come, but I can't freakin' run, What gives?! I seriously have dreams about running. I'm always pregnant in them and I make an attempt and it feels great, then I just take off with no pain. Running fantasies, how sexy!

After our walk we had time to tackle some tree pruning and brush clean up in the yard. There I was, waddling around the wheelbarrow with my garden gloves on, and loving every minute of it. Even the tight back and pulling ligaments. I thought of growing old with Scott and doing yard work together when we are old and grey. Its who we are, how we were meant to be, made for each other.

After racking, repotting a plant and sweeping the front porch I walked into my dirty house and cringed. Throw me a vacuum, let's do this! I did about half the house before I ran out of gas. The loss of energy seemed to drop me to my knees. The thought of preparing dinner sent me into an anxious panic. Somebody help! Just then, a call from my mother-in-law inviting Logan and I to dinner (Scott was working.) Thank you Jesus! We showered and took off for dinner with the family followed by lights out. I'm not sure I even remember laying my head down on my pillow.

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

2010-02-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Knowing I had followed a week off from workouts with only two WODs last week, I felt like I should do something on saturday. Hmmm, maybe those 150 kettle bell swings I'd been planning? It may seem like I'm highly motivated and feeling energized, but I assure you all I want to do with my day is lay on the couch and eat junk food. It takes all I have to muster up the energy to start a workout. 150 kettle bell swings just doesn't sound fun at any time.

CFCP hosted an olympic lifting seminar for our Saturday Masters Class. We brought in a know-it-all on oly lifts and he spent 3+ hours going over Snatch with our athletes. I watched for the most part, comparing his style to Mike Burgener's. Very similar, yet completely different. I jumped in on a few lifts and suggested the class do "Randy" as their WOD post seminar.

"Randy"
75 Snatch - Men's #75, Women's #55 (I used #45)

My time: 9:25

What I've noticed since I've started showing is that nobody critiques my form and nobody pushes me to keep going (they obviously don't want to rush me). I looked back at the pictures from the work we did on saturday and my form sucked. Hello! I still get by with a little help from my friends. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I want to let my form go to shit! Help a girl out. Yes, the belly and the ligaments throw off my form in the bottom of the snatch, but someone could have told me I was pulling my head too far into the top.

I guess this took it out of me because I was asleep on the couch by 8:30pm. Logan woke me up at 9:30 to let me know he was ready for bed. Not really feeling too Supermom these days!

Phat Cindy

2010-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

On friday morning I put on one of my "cute" crossfit t-shirts. I've always loved the tight fit of it and because its long it makes my new belly look cute too. Well to my surprise my cute, fit shoulders were gone! In their place was a pasty lump of skin. It was 5:20am, I threw a hoodie in it and walked out the door for my morning class. Its just part of this process.

Later that day, with my shoulders lacking, I felt the need to do do some work on them. My WOD, 150 KB swings for fun. I figured this would be good for my core as well. My warm-up started with a 500m row and some push ups. Two rounds in, a member of CFCP sat on the rower next to me to start the WOD I'd written on the board.

Running Phat Cindy
AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 20 minutes
400m Run (500m Row as sub)
5 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
15 Back Squats - #45 for the ladies (This is what makes Cindy Phat)

I quickly cleared my rower clock and started the wod with her. My pull ups were butterflies, but 10 lbs extra to my body weight you could call them weighted pull ups. My push ups were belly to deck and my squats were flawless. Four rounds later the 20 minutes was up. I felt so good I did a fifth round for fun. Maybe I'll do the KB swings next week.

On a horrifying note, my first pregnancy caused a massive varicose vein to run from my inner knee down to my ankle. After giving birth the vein went down, but never completely went away. Can you imagine being 20 years old and having sexy grandma legs?! Its a cosmetic surgery and I never saw a need to take care of it. Here I am 7 years later, pregnant again with this gnarled, enlarged vein. My doctor suggested I buy the ultra, fire resistant, uber, super compression hose. Ha, ya right. I wear sweat pants every day and jeans are pushing the comfort level as it is. I'm not walking around in hose. Hope I don't regret that decision! This picture was taken on a good day.

Big Announcement

2010-02-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

We had our sonogram today. Scott, Logan and I all sat in the room anxiously awaiting the announcement. "Its a Girl!" With that Scott and I smiled at each other and gripped each other's hands. We sat in silence while the sonographer went through her routine of measuring all the baby's organs. I was thinking weird thoughts like, "maybe she is wrong. No, this is God's plan. A baby girl was meant to be, but this is Scott's last chance at a boy and carrying on the Isbell name. But its a girl and its what we were destined to do together." Obviously I was a little disappointed. Then out of nowhere, "OH! I WAS WRONG!" Before she had even finished the statement I saw the boy parts flash across the screen. Tears welled up in my eyes. Scott and I gripped even tighter. I didn't trust her, "Are you sure?! Show me again." Twenty minutes passed before our baby unfolded and flashed us his man parts. This time we got the picture. We even asked the sonographer to go back and triple check. There was no mistaking it, Scott and I are having a SON!

Traeger Wayne Isbell weighs about 12 oz and looks beautiful on film. The doctor said he is a perfect growing baby. Scott, Logan and Mekenzie all have red hair. The question now is, what color will Traeger's hair be?

HELP! I'm Under Attack!

2010-02-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

Huge growth spurt over the last weekend. My belly, boobs and butt seem to have doubled in size. I've been excited about growing up until now. I feel like my boobs are attacking me from all angles. As aesthetically appealing as that is, they are uber uncomfortable. I want my fit body back!

Getting back into the workout routine was pretty tough today, but it had to be done. I was starting to get stiff all over. Being sore from working out is one thing, but being sore from doing nothing just sucks! The sciatic nerve is staring to scream. Not sure if its the lack of working out or the pressure from the baby.

Today's WOD
4 Rounds
500m Row
15 Wall Ball - #20
15 Good Mornings - #45
15 Squats

I didn't care to keep the time on this one. It was harder than I expected. The time off really hurt me. Lesson learned.

Tomorrow's post will be huge! Don't miss it!

I'm Sure She'd Make a Really Excellent Mother

2010-02-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

Maybe its the weather, but I'm willing to bet its the baby that has got me feeling the urge to hide out in our bat cave. With the blinds shut tight, the kids away and my husband at work all I can think about is closing my eyes. Who am I kidding, I think about closing my eyes all day long. The thought of going to bed at night makes me a little giddy. That being said, I haven't worked out all week. Even after attempting to buy a bathing suit the other day, I'm okay with taking a week off. (Bathing suit shopping will be another blog...YIKES!) As of now I've gained 8 lbs. I'm right on track.

Aside from extreme exhaustion, some of the other symptoms I'm experiencing at this point are heart burn, acne all over my body, extreme urge to cry over anything (happy or sad), the feeling that my pelvic bone is determined to rip in half, a little nausea, loss of mental focus, odd dreams, loss of appetite with an increased food intake, and huge boobs that spill into my armpits. Pregnancy is beautiful.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner I'm happy to have the time to volunteer for Logan's class party. Logan and I have been working on his Valentine's cards to his classmates and his mailbox so he doesn't miss a single love letter from an admirer. I live for the art projects. Its a great opportunity to pull out the ole glue gun and puff paint. We tried to "man up" his mailbox with some blue material, but the artist formally known as Logan is a huge fan of glitter glue. Can you blame him? And just so there are no concerns about his masculinity, he's no stranger to rolling in the mud and releasing vulgar smells.

Happy Valentine's Day to all the Redheaded Loves in my life.

Over Doing It

2010-02-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

Friday I asked Scott to come up with a workout for me. I told him my arms were sore from Fran and snatches so I needed a leg burner. Without prescribing weight he text me, "21-15-9 back sqt, dl, weighted step ups." I took off from there. I know from a few weeks ago I can do 155 lb deadlifts with out any issues. Games weight on deadlifts is normally 185 lbs in a met-con so this is taking it down to my pregnant level. The back squats were sketchy. CrossFit Mom suggest 45-65 lbs. Why I thought I could do 145 lbs is beyond me! I dropped it down to 135 after a lift or two.

Here's how it ended up:

21-15-9

Deadlifts - #155

Back Squats - #135

Weighted Box Steps - #20 medball, 20 in box

Time - 30+ minutes

The deadlifts felt great. The back squats went in groups of 4's - ROUGH. The step ups were just fun.

Halfway through I started texting people asking if #135 was safe, by the time I finished the wod the answers came in. NO! My abs aren't strong enough at this point to support that weight. A few hours later, halfway through coaching the 6pm class it felt like someone hit my light switch. I went from energized to lifeless in seconds. Knowing I over did it with my workout I really started to worry. On top of that I hadn't eaten in a few hours and was beyond starving. After class I laid on a therapy bed and asked Scott pick me up. We got BBQ to-go and I scarfed down my banana pudding in the truck. I needed the quick carb slap in the butt!

I've felt the baby move today and my soreness is minimal. Nothing feels out of whack so I'm okay with the workout I did, but I don't think I'll try it again unless I'm trying to induce labor.

I Love My Oly Shoes

2010-02-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

Last night I attempted double-unders and after 3 felt some major pressure on my bladder. Forget that idea. I'm not peeing my pants for this. I start doing the Burgener Warm-Up with a 25 lb bar. I still had no idea which workout I wanted to do, but next to me was a loaded 65 lb bar. Temptation struck. In my Nikes I attempted a full snatch. The moosh of my shoes sent my body and the bar all over the place. I thought up a quick wod and changed into my favorite shoes ever...My Oly Shoes! These babies reap a strict, solid landing under the bar. The sound they make as they hit the floor at the bottom of the snatch is like music to my ears. I attempted my next snatch and it stuck. Love it!

The WOD
3 Rounds
250m Row
10 Snatch - #65
Time - 17:34 I'm not sure why I even keep time at this point.

Olympic lifts make my heart go pitter patter. They are my strength and I'm going to be very sad when my belly is too big to safely get the bar around it. Guess I'll have to settle for dumbbells.

Below is a video of Olympic winner Natalie Woolfork-Burgener. She is the daugther-in-law to Olympic weightlifting Coach Mike Burgener. If a dream vacation were in order for us Isbell's, it would probably be a week in Mike's Garage learning to lift like Natalie. I wonder how much her training will change when she is pregnant?

On a sad note, I was bumped from my last number 1 spot on the leader board yesterday. Deric kicked ass and took names on Fight Gone Bad beating my 333 points with 432. Ouch!

A Thing for the Girls

2010-02-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

FRAN
21-15-9
Thrusters - 65 lbs
Pull Ups

Time 2/3/20 - 12:06

It took me all week to find the motivation to work out, but FRAN was knocking on my door. That and I got my heart rate monitor and had to test it out.

Every CrossFitter has a story. Its that quick go to event you tell to help new comers or non-CrossFiters understand why you wake up at 5am for an 8 minute workout. CrossFit is my passion. Beyond my family CrossFit isn't just CrossFit...its everything. That being said, I have a lot of stories, but my go to event is Fran.

I started CrossFit in the fall of 2007 2x a week. My athletic abilities went no further than high school dance team and since those days I had had a baby and dabbled in the boring Gold's gym style workouts. By January 2008 I had taught myself kipping pull ups. My coach at the time invited me to a workout with him and his buddy, another affiliate owner. The workout was Fran and being new to CrossFit I had no idea what a thruster was or why this workout was named after a girl. I watched the two guys do the workout then fling themselves to the floor gasping for air after just a few short minutes. Then it was my turn. I used the prescribed weight of 65 lbs for females. 10 minutes later I was struggling to get my last pull up over the bar. After 4 attempts one of the guys came to give me hand. I snubbed it off and gutted out my last pull up Rx. I walked away not understanding what I had just done, not knowing it was the first of many milestones through out the next 2 years.

In June of 2008 I attended my CrossFit level 1 certification in California. The workout on the first day was none other than Fran. By this point I was doing CrossFit several times a week and had been strictly zoning my crappy food for 6 months. The man of my dreams, Scott, and my CrossFit Hero, Jolie Gentry, stood in front of me cheering me on. I took a personal record (pr) on Fran in 6:24.

By October 2008 I had switch to Paleo Zone with my diet. Quality and Quantity. I took on Fran in a casual corner here at CFCP. There was no hype, a small crowd of people warming up, and the clock. Again, a PR with 4 minutes and some change.

April 2009, just before Qualifiers, I nervously took on FRAN with the camera rolling. After 3 minutes and 53 seconds I threw myself to the floor gasping for air. I completely understand the intensity of the coaches attempting this back in January 2008. I too had hit that point.

Just before the CrossFit Games I took on Fran again with no improvement, a scary thing when you are about to compete against the fittest men and women in the world. I believe I actually did it in 3:55...OUCH.

BUT, By November 2009 I reclaimed my spot on the board with a Fran time of 3:49. And that's all she wrote. (I was bumped down by Deric last week. Chest to bar Fran in 2:41...WOW!"

Last night I took on Fran with a heart rate monitor, the video camera and an obvious baby bump. After doing some research I've found that heart rate monitoring is a little less important than it used to be during pregnancy. There is no rule stating you need to keep your heart rate with in a certain range, but I'm not sure they wrote that with CrossFit in mind. I found when I had the natural urge to rest is when my heart rate hit 160-170 bpm. Listening to my body seems to be the best rule of thumb. In my Games training I learned to resist the urge to rest, but now its time to respect that urge. Scott was there, giggling at Baby Bumper's appearance more than my performance, but also to make sure I knew when to stop. My time was safely 12:06. I had some solid butterfly pull ups my first round, but switched to kips when my deconditioned calluses wanted to give out. Butterflies really fly. They are so much faster. I'm so glad I have taken the time to learn them and I can't wait to hit my next Fran PR. The goal is 3:30 post baby.

Side Note - I can now feel my belly when I row. Its not in the way yet, but it won't be too much longer.

Rekindling An Old Flame

2010-02-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

Scott and I had full intensions of taking on FRAN saturday, but it was our first (and one of our last) weekend with no kids in a long time. (One of the only perks of sharing our kids with the exes is the occasional reminder of life before kids. As many parents out there know, it makes you feel young and frisky.) So we blew FRAN off for baby furniture browsing, running shoe shopping, lunch, napping, and a nice dinner out. He wore a button up shirt, I wore perfume, we basked in "date night". I even stayed up until 10:30pm, but it felt like 2:00am to my pregnant hormonal body. I was starving by 7:30am and found myself too weak to sleep, if that's possible. This made accomplishing anything on sunday completely impossible.

Monday came quick and with it a new goal, getting my family back on paleo. I think my entire house is pregnant. For the first time in months I was able to get through the grocery store with out crying on the cracker isle as I scrambled to open a box of saltines. I did my well known route around the perimeter of the store dipping into the isles only for a few snacks for the kids. The skies opened and the angels sang as I entered the produce department. I was ready to reclaim my relationship with the vegetables. Zucchini, bell pepper, onion, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, avocado, and squash I have missed you. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?

I'm happy to report that things are currently going very smooth between the veggies and me. So much so, that my husband has happily jumped in on every meal with us.

GRACEful Movements

2010-01-29T10:43:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-13T11:43:00.000-08:00

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

Cue Pukie

2009-12-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

3 weeks, 6 days

9 weeks

10 weeks, 2 days

A Day to Day Murph

2009-12-18T14:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-06T11:06:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-11-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-10-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

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.