Pigtails and Kettlebells (Helen)

Good morning!

Yesterday's WOD at Mercer Island CrossFit was Helen, one of the "CrossFit Girls." 

I was feeling a little down about doing Helen, since I'm not yet up to doing more than 1 "real" pullup...well, I can do at least 2, but not linked.  I've gotten to this point at CrossFit where I feel like I should be RX'ing more workouts.  It may be silly, but I kinda feel discouraged looking at the WOD and realizing, "Oh, even if I work really hard, there's no way I can RX."

But...I am working on not cherry-picking WODs and also having a better attitude and just getting out there.  So I sucked it up and headed over after work.  (I also looked up "Helen" workout tips online to get myself more motivated...I found this website really inspiring!)

I ended up getting to the gym early (a miracle, for anyone who knows me) and headed over to the box at about 5:45...the 5pm class was finishing up.  My friend Turk was there and challenged me to a pre-WOD game of racquetball!  I got my butt kicked as usual, but I made a few great kill shots and had one good lob serve (Dad, I hope you're impressed).  I tried not to play too hard since I didn't want to be tired for CrossFit. 

After our Warmup of the Week (which included chest-to-bar pull-ups that for me were more like chest-closer-to-the-bar-than-normal-does-that-count pull-ups), we hit the first part of the workout, a skill.

Skill

2 Rounds:
Row 500m
max effort
rest 3 mins

I'm not a super rower, but I really like it.  There's always been something fun to me about a cardio machine that uses your upper body (and no, I don't think the elliptical counts).  My time for the first row was a lot slower, in part because I stopped to fix my shoe early on and forgot the time was already going.  Oops.

I felt a little queasy after the second row.  I decided that for Helen, at least this time, I was gonna focus more on strength and form than speed, since it was a hot day and the row kinda wore me out!  It wasn't until recently that I started strategizing and giving myself a clear goal for WODs (ya know, besides just "don't die").  I went with the red band for pullups, even though I knew it would slow me down, and the RX 35lb kettlebell.

Coach John let us take the kettlebell part of the workout outside into the parking lot.  I had loaded up on sunscreen beforehand and was stoked.  He counted down and we all took off on the run.  I fell behind the other women pretty quickly, but reminded myself that I was working on form.  I concetrated on breathing, a mid/fore-foot step, good arm swing (i.e. not across my body like I'm prone to) and engaging my core.

I decided to try for all 21 kettlebells unbroken. 



Tee - Nike; running skirt - lululemon;
shoes - Nike; muscles - Mercer Island CrossFit



I love kettlebell swings, and Heidi (one of my fave gals at MICF) had given me some great encouragement about my swing at last Saturday's team WOD.  When I started getting tired and considered bailing on the "unbroken" idea, I remembered what she said about my form and how strong my arms looked...and so I powered through and just kept on going. 

Thanks, Heidi!!!  I made it unbroken on all three rounds!

Our box at the 5k WOD Challenge...with Heidi on my left

The pullups were really hard.  I made it through 8 unbroken on the first round, and after that the most I got through was 6.  In my final round, I did 6, 4, and finally the last 2. 

Coach John got out the sidewalk chalk
to cheer us on for the final round!

 I finished Helen with a time of 14:47. 

Honestly, I think I could've gone faster.  I could've run a little harder and stuck with the pullups a little better.  However...my goal for the workout was to build strength and focus on form, and that's what I did. 

And, since a lot of folks find my blog while looking for workout hairstyles, here's one of my faves: the low pigtails!

I do a deep side part, and then I actually bobby pin the right side away from my face.  This means if (haha) I get really sweaty, I don't end up with side-swept hair plastered to my face.  Pigtails definitely beat the classic ponytail if you'll be doing anything while lying down on the floor (yoga, core work, etc.), and if you have thick hair, they don't give you a headache like the weight of a ponytail can.  Plus they're uber-girly.


YOU TELL ME: What's your best time for Helen?  What slows you down most - the run, the kettlebell swings, or the pull-ups?  Do you get discouraged when you can't RX?  Do you sport pigtails on your WOD?

Women's Health On-the-Grill

Happy Monday!

This weekend, my husband and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary.  For our first anniversary, my folks got us a little grill, and what better way to enjoy each other's company than outdoors with some excellent food?

I found a few recipes in Women's Health that inspired our meal: apricot shrimp skewers and the parmesan + parsely + lemon corn on the cob:

We had chicken on hand instead of shrimp, and pecorino romano instead of parmesan, so we decided to make the swaps and see what happened.

First we soaked the corn for a while so that it wouldn't burn on the grill.  We used a 4lb dumbell to keep the corn submerged.

Jared cut the chicken and apricots up at home, and we loaded up our gear to head to a nearby picnic area.  Our table was perfectly situated with a mix of sun and shade!

Grill from my folks, picnic gear from Jared's!

We used 6 large apricots and 2 chicken breasts (along with garlic and other seasonings).  It made 8 skewers...and we could only fit 4 at once!

The chicken turned out absolutely delicious.  We had two apiece, with four leftover.  I'd recommend under-ripe apricots...ours were quite ripe and practically fell off the skewers!

We half-husked the corn and grilled it with a little olive oil.

Once it was finished we added some pepper and the pecorino romano!

It was a perfect summer meal!  Thanks, Women's Health, for the great ideas!

And thanks, Jared, not only for being my chef, but for three amazing years of marriage.  Life has been everything from blissful to incredibly hard, but by the grace of God we always come through as a team.  You're the best, Baby!

You tell me: Any great outdoor dining this weekend?  Yes, sitting on the patio at a restaurant counts!

135 Ways to Impress Your Baby Brother (My 4th of July)

He's four years younger, but apparently we look like twins?

Holiday celebrations for me usually include some form of workout.  It honestly makes the day more fun, and I think it's really healthy to keep the "fun celebrating" from only revolving around food.
Mercer Island CrossFit typically offers 5 classes on Wednesday, but due to the holiday, there would only be 1 class for the 4th.  I was particularly excited since Jared (now bearer of his CF Level 1 certificate) would be teaching the class!  My mom was coming to watch and take photos (she's a champ), and my baby brother wanted to try CrossFit for the first time.


Jared and I arrived early so he could work on his medical school secondary applications (this will be an essay filled summer for us):

The WOD was a Hero WOD - a great way to celebrate July 4th and honor those who have served our country.


From the Mercer Island CrossFit website: In honor of USAF SSgt Timothy P. Davis, 28, who was killed on Feburary, 20 2009 supporting operations in OEF when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Timothy is survived by his wife Megan and one-year old son T.J.

—
WOD

“DT”

Five rounds for time
155 pound Deadlift, 12 reps
155 pound Hang power clean, 9 reps
155 pound Push jerk, 6 reps

*scale to your ability. keep good form

There was no listed female RX.

We figured the class might be a little light with the holiday...but boy were we wrong!

Jared got everyone warmed up - currently our box does a "warmup of the week" which we repeat each day.  It gives everyone a chance to improve their skills over the course of the week.

It's easy for the coach to laugh...he doesn't do the WOD!

After the warm-up, anyone who had not yet done July's 2-minute challenge got set up for pushups.  The specifics: as many chest-to-floor pushups as possible in 2 minutes.  My brother Max got to battle it out - and he did great!

Then it was time for the WOD.  Due to the great weather, a lot of us took our bars outside.  (And yes, I was wearing sunscreen as usual!!!)

Max cracked me up by asking, "Are you doing more weight than I am???"  He was fooled by my 15lb bar and mistook it for a 45lb bar. 

Max and Joel setting up!

The WOD was absolutely killer.  I'd never done hanging power cleans before and had falsely assumed they'd be easier than regular power cleans.  I decided to scale the 155lb RX to 65lbs - I figured my one rep max for power cleans was around 80lbs, so it seemed like a reasonable swap.

I don't usually think much about strategy on workouts...usually I'm just trying to get done with good form and without puking or dying.  But after reading All Around Joe's recap of the MICF 5k WOD, I realized strategy could be a big help in tough workouts!  I made it through all 12 deadlifts unbroken on the first round...and then realized I'd need to do a 13th deadlift after resting before I could start the hanging power cleans!  For the remaining rounds I did 11 unbroken deadlifts, rested, and then did the final deadlift so I could move right into the next motion.

Max rockin' the power cleans

The same held true going from the power cleans into the jerks...sort of.

I think I might've made it through the hanging power cleans unbroken on the first round.  But by round 2 I had to split it up...and by the final round, I could only handle two reps at a time...they killed me!  One great thing about going heavy in weight is it forces you to use good form!  No way could I have made it through the workout "cheating."

The push jerks were tough, but not as bad as the hanging power cleans - I've been working on not letting the bar slam down and bruise my shoulders between reps (although I still made sure to wear a tee shirt instead of a tank top to try and get a little extra protection).  Most rounds I made it through all six reps unbroken.

We were all dying on this WOD...thankfully Jared kept coming out to correct our form, encourage us, and remind us that the Hero WOD honors the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us and our country - the least we could do was keep pushing through the end of the WOD!
On the last round, I wasn't sure how much I had left in me...but when Jared came out and gave us an update on the time, I thought, "I bet I could finish in under 20:00 if I really tried!"  And I did - I made it through all six of the last push jerks at once to finish in 19:13.
I realized today that I'd done DT once before in March.  On 3/20, I had scaled to 55lbs and finished in 15:24.  Even though it took me longer this time around, I'm proud that I could add 10lbs!  (I HIGHLY recommend tracking your workouts on WODClub or some similar site - watching your growth is a huge motivator.)

Plus, nothing beats impressing your baby brother with your Olympic lifting prowess!

How did you spend your 4th?  Can you outlift your younger brother?  Did you outEAT your younger brother?  What's your best weight/time for DT?



Fourth of July

Stoked for CrossFit today!

It's Hero Time!!!

My hubby recently got his Level 1 Certificate and will be coaching the class.  Plus, I've got my mom and my baby brother coming out to give it a shot.  And the WOD is a "Hero" WOD - CrossFit uses the Hero WODs as a way of honoring those who have given their lives to serve our country.  What a great tradition!

This afternoon we plan to grill up some steaks and baby bok choy, and maybe even take a dip in the pool.  Summer has finally come to Seattle.

Here's wishing you all a healthy and fun Independence Day! 

It Only Takes a Year: My Big Racquetball Win

As you may know, I started playing racquetball in May of 2011:

My goals were three-fold:

1. Get my beloved artist father to start working out.
2. Improve my naturally less-than-stellar hand-eye coordination.
3. Get my beloved artist father to start working out!

My dad used to be quite the athlete.  In high school and the years following, he did football, track & field, basketball...basically he liked sports, and the friendly competition + workout that sports provided.

About 10 years ago, he suffered (yet another) injury to his right hand while playing basketball with some of my high school buddies.  He wisely decided that as an artist, he couldn't afford any more broken fingers, and narrows his basketball focus to cheering for Gonzaga in college ball, and yelling at Kobe Bryant and any incompetent refs in the NBA.

I've been hoping for a chance to get him up and moving again for years, but wasn't sure how to make it happen without being a nagging daughter.  I don't want my dad to be Arnold or anything...just to be able to play with my kids someday.

When my husband started working at the SJCC on Mercer Island, I found out to my great delight that a membership to the J included access to their three indoor racqueball courts.

My dad used to be a racquetball champ, but hadn't played in a long while.  It didn't take long for me to form my scheme.  I called him up and asked if he wanted to teach me the rules of the game.

Thus began our weekly racquetball dates. 

My dad started with a handicap...which means he let me serve twice for every one serve of his.  I learned rules, etiquette, and how to swing the racquet (more like swatting a fly than hitting a baseball).

I told Dad that my goal was to beat him fair and square (none of this double-serve business) within a year.

We continued to play at least once a week as I slooooowwwwwlllllyyyy improved.  I have never been athletically inclined.  I played softball for three years and ran track...but only because I liked the people involved.  I was the kid drawing in the dirt at shortstop or wimping out on workouts.  I preferred things to come easily to me - and if they didn't, I'd quit and do something else. 

But I wanted to stick it out with racquetball...my dad and I have always had a great relationship, and he somehow made losing game after game a ton of fun.

He makes goofy voices and cheers for me whenever I get a good shot.  He appreciates all my cool dance moves when I'm celebrating one good serve, and we know all the same old-movie punch lines.  Plus, whenever my apparent lack of progress got me down, I'd still get excited for my dad!  His endurance continued to improve and he lost 18 pounds!

At the end of May 2012, we played two games in which I lost by a landslide.  I was feeling discouraged, and my dad gave me a great pep talk about how much better I really had gotten, and how winning isn't everything, and it CERTAINLY isn't the only measure of progress.

And then, somehow, we went back into the court for game three...and I beat my dad.

It was one year and a day since we'd started playing.  Since 2011 was a leap year, I say it counts.


What are your latest fitness achievements?  Have you ever had to work long and hard at something before you saw the payoff you wanted?  Did YOU draw in the dirt during Little League games?

REVIEW: Hot Yoga, Inc.

Welcome back to The MeghaMix! 


If you want to know what I've been up to for the last three months (besides that full time job thing)...think CrossFit Endurance training for the Portland Half Marathon, feeding a husband studying for his MCAT, and full bore volunteer work for my junior high/high school musical theatre class:

I may or may not have choreographed a burpee into the closing number in the show:

The hubby and I got to put in a "guest appearance" as Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey for the hit song from Dirty Dancing - I totally wanted to steal this dress from Sarah at Coming Unstitched.

And to top it all off...my students signed and awarded me a prop from the show...so I now have Justin Bieber hanging on my cubicle wall. 

It's been an incredibly busy but good spring...and I'm excited to settle down to a relaxing summer and get back to blogging.

To kick things off, here's a post I've been dying to write for a long time - my review of Hot Yoga, Inc.!!!

 
As you know, I'm a huge proponent of diversified workouts.  Doing the same thing day in and day out ups your odds of getting injured...and frankly, it gets a little boring.  In consequence, I try out new workouts fairly regularly, some that are fun to try once (fencing, barre3) and some that resonate with me and become part of my weekly regimen (racquetball, Mercer Island CrossFit). 


Hot Yoga is a big thing these days (news flash, right?) and so it had been on my list for a long time. 

I'd been doing Tara Stiles' Slim Calm Sexy Yoga at home since my therapist recommended yoga as a way to battle stress and anxiety last year.  I really enjoyed finally doing something good for me that I was naturally good at (like corpse pose).  Like many people, however, I find it hard to workout at home when the dishes and laundry are calling my name, so my little yoga routine had dwindled from almost nightly to if-I-had-time-after-a-run-which-was-basically-never.

I'm not really one for New Year's Resolutions, but this year I had two: 1) get at least 3 servings of veggies each weekday, and 2) get on with it and try Hot Yoga.


Hot Yoga, Inc. has seven locations across Seattle and the Seattle Eastside.  They offer a KILLER deal where local residents can try hot yoga: 10 classes for $10.  No, that's not $10 per class.  That's $1 per class. (I do math for a living.  Can't you tell?)


This was obviously too good a deal for my cheapskate self to pass up...plus I live and work near both the Bellevue and Kirkland studios, so I knew it wouldn't be too tough to get my 10 classes into 30 days (they expire - you can't string them out for months).


Because I like to organize my crazy thoughts whenever possible...as always, here's my point by point breakdown review!!!

• Environment - 5 out of 5.   I can't speak for the other five studios, but Bellevue and Kirkland are excellent.  Bellevue seems newer - it's larger and fancier, with real showers in the locker room (well, in the ladies - I assume in the men's as well, but don't know from first hand experience).  This is a HUGE perk since I am genetically predisposed to sweat like a pig and my hair is often dripping by the time I'm done.  Kirkland is tiny but they make great use of their space and it has a cozy, not cramped, feel.

Bellevue interior



• Instructors - 4 out of 5.  Like anywhere, it depends a little on who you get.  Most of the teachers are good, a very few not so good, and some truly excellent.  My only real complaint is that they don't post who will be teaching what class...so if you have a favorite teacher, you may need to hunt them down and find out for yourself what classes they're scheduled to teach.
• Affordability - 3 out of 5.  I so enjoyed my $1 classes (okay, the first four I couldn't tell if I liked or hated it - by class #5 I was hooked) that I signed up for their newbie 6-month unlimited (the best long-term deal.  It's $399 for 6 months.  This may sound steep, but I checked about a dozen studios in the area, hot yoga and non-hot yoga (technical terms, I know) and couldn't find a better price anywhere. 

• Convenience - 4 out of 5.  They offer a great class schedule, some as early as 6am if you want to get your zen on before heading to the office.  There are evenings, lunch hours, weekends - short of just giving you a key and an instructor manual, they let you practice almost anytime you want!

If you forget clothes, mat, towel, or water, never fear!

• Cardio/endurance - 2 out of 5.  Although you'll be sweating your butt off every time, getting cardio out of yoga depends mainly on what class you tae.  You won't suddenly be able to run 5 miles after a month of Hatha.  The best bet for building some endurance here is the Power class, if you get a good teacher and keep up with the flow.  I'd view this as a side benefit of Hot Yoga and keep getting good cardio elsewhere.
• Muscle building/fat burning - 3 out of 5.  I still haven't made it to a Sculpt class (if I'm gonna be lifting weights, I may as well be at CrossFit), so I'm speaking strictly about Hatha and Power - Hatha will build some strength, particularly in your lower body.  It's excellent for runners and athletes who do a lot of lateral movement - the balancing poses really strengthen your feet and ankles, and most poses are done one side at a time, which will help you even out.  Power helps you build some muscle in both your lower and upper body from body-weight exercises like planks, flowing lunges, core work, and pushups.  I'd look at this as a supplement to a good weight-lifting regimen.

Don't wear long sleeves or pants! 
You will sweat like crazy.






Bring flip flops -
nothing worse than putting socks on slick feet.

• Flexibility - 5 out of 5.  Improved flexibility is the number one reason to try Hot Yoga.  Most runners, CrossFitters, and athletes of all shapes and sizes are guilty of prioritizing workouts, diet, and ignoring flexibility.  The Yin class is absolutely the best for focusing solely on your future bendy self, but all of the classes involve relaxing and lengthening.  You will be more agile and less injury-prone if you march yourself into a Hot Yoga studio a few times a week.

For your first class, be sure and bring a mat,
 a large (beach) towel, and a water. 
Otherwise they won't let you in. 
A hand towel is awesome, too. 



• Body awareness - 5 out of 5.  In my MeghaMix laymen terms, the whole point of yoga is not stretching, but rather connecting your movements with your breath.  This means that a yoga win would not be a class where you struggled valiantly to achieve a shoulder stand...while holding your breath due to concentration on the pose.  A yoga win might instead be a class where you were too tired from the week to complete all the poses...but stayed focused on your breath even when you were resting in corpse or child pose. So if you approach the class with the right attitude (a good instructor will help a ton), you will be gaining some incredible body awareness.  Rather than trying to force yourself into things, you'll learn patience and humility can really go a long way.
• Fun factor - 4 out of 5. Some days, particularly if I'm dehydrated, I find it really tough to make it through a class...but in almost 6 months I've only had one class that I regretted (the room was too dang hot and at least 7 other people scooted out early with me).  Every other time I come out feeling more relaxed, limber, and at peace than I was when I arrived.  (And a lot more sweaty.  See below.)





Me after my first class!


• Community - 2 out of 5.  Classes are designed to be chatter-free.  Other than the instructor's voice and the pranayama breathing of the other students, you're supposed to feel pretty much like it's just you and your mat.  For me, this is awesome, since usually after a long day at the office, I'd like to be in my own little world and not have to worry about making small talk.  The nature of hot yoga does lend itself to a less tight-knit community, since no one talks during class, and after class everyone's too busy panting or racing home for a shower to carry on much conversation.  Most people are friendly and polite, however, and probably if you're more of an extrovert and have some time to spare before and after classes, you'd feel plugged right in.

Final verdict As I mentioned earlier, I was so impressed that I signed up for a membership and have been yogaing (that's a verb, right?) regularly for 6 months now.  I'm more flexible, saner, and stronger as a result.  I've seen results in my CrossFit, racquetball, and running, and learning to focus on my breath has helped me so much in fighting my anxiety and stress.

I highly encourage you to give Hot Yoga a try.  Come armed with mat, towel, and a big bottle of water, and promise yourself to stick it out through at least half a dozen classes.  And then come back here and let me know what you think!

Do you Hot Yoga?  What's your experience?  Love it?  Hate it?  Tell me!!!

Huskey Basketball with Salmon & Artichokes

Good morning!

If you are here looking for a great recipe...you might be new.


I am a spoiled woman whose husband cooks and bakes.  I make a mean salad and a great brown bag lunch.  He makes me mimosas and protein pancakes on the weekends.

Yup, that is the face of Yoda you see above.  And a teddy bear with a lingon-berry tummy.  I am well-loved, folks.

Protein pancakes = the way to my heart

We just finished going through a sermon series on marriage at our church, and one of the sermons focused on being a servant to your spouse.  This starts with an attitude/heart change of recognizing Jesus as the Great Servant and being willing to do menial or thankless tasks out of love for your spouse.  This can also be going out of your comfort zone to do something they would appreciate.

So a few weeks ago, I decided to encourage Jared to watch the Husky game instead of making dinner, and I would make dinner and bring it over to him.  I got his advice on what to do with the salmon, and put together the following meal:

Cheese is important at any meal, I think

This stuff is a life-saver!

My childhood fave veggie

Tada!!!

I packed up all the pieces to take dinner to the clubhouse where Jared was watching the game.  (Yes, as I may have mentioned, we live in the dark ages and don't have TV in our apartment.  We do archaic things like reading and talking.)  Somehow I managed not to spill or ruin anything!

I panicked when I realized I'd gotten all the way up the hill without the beer opener thing.  (Big technical words R Us.)  But with Jared's resourcefulness and a set of keys, we got it taken care of.

Success!

You tell me: What is something you've done lately to let someone know you appreciate them?  Do you find it easier to serve or to be served?  Do you microwave artichokes?