Wonderful WOD

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

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



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

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

I can't wait to bring him again.

Holy Hormonal Headache Batman!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mission Accomplished

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

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

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

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

My Struggle

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

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

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

Nikki Hall ... [wmv] [mov]

Hello Belly!

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

MONDAY

Advanced

21-15-9

Push ups

Lunges (per leg)

Hang power cleans #75

TUESDAY

Advanced

3 rounds

21 lunges (per leg)

21 step ups

Row 500m

WEDNESDAY

Advanced

5 rounds

10 shoulder press #75

10 pull ups

Cue Pukie

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

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


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

My Lump, My Lump, My Lovely Baby Bump

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