Good morning friends! If you are in my social/media world you know by now that on Monday during a CrossFit workout my knee buckled on me and I am currently hobbling around with a knee brace and cr…
Source: Good morning!
Good morning!
Good morning friends! If you are in my social/media world you know by now that on Monday during a CrossFit workout my knee buckled on me and I am currently hobbling around with a knee brace and crutches .
Actually the crutches have been a bit of fun. I’ve been tooling around the house on them just for the heck of it because it gives me something to do and is the only exercise I can do for awhile.
I also wanted to update you on how I’m doing with my sugar detox. I bought a calendar at Barnes and Nobles and hung it up in my kitchen. There are four “rules” I wrote on an index card above the calendar. In order to receive a red “X” on the calendar I must adhere to the four rules. They are: 1400 calories per day, absolutely NO sugar in the form of sweets – read candy, cookies, ice cream etc. Sugar from fruits is allowed. No eating after dinner and no alcohol during the week. I get a Saturday only cheat with one glass. So far I’ve done pretty good. 
My biggest hurdle is that eating after dinner part. Around 9:00 pm I get the munchies. Also, yesterday while sitting with my leg propped up I got the urge to make a huge bowl of popcorn with butter. Popcorn is my go-to comfort binge food. Besides the part where I’m not supposed to have grains, I was sure the stick of butter I like to add to it would put the 1400 calorie limit severely to the test. And people want to feed me. As soon as it got out that I was laid up, I got offers of food. Really good food. Ice cream type food. My food love language as it were. My trick of keeping super busy in order to distract myself with food has been challenged too.
So there you have it folks. I asked the doctor if I could continue working out as I healed and he looked at me like I had two heads. He finally relented and said I could do upper body exercises IF I wore my knee brace so it would keep my leg immobile. I have made a commitment to lay low through the weekend. I figure it can’t hurt and it might help. I’ve been doing CrossFit for seven years and have never had an injury. That it happened during double unders is an affront to my dignity. I wasn’t even doing anything particularly difficult or taxing. Dear Husband did remind me last night how fortunate I was that it was “only” double unders as I could have gotten really hurt if the knee had given out during a lift. I had just finished doing 5 round max back squats at 130# so I conceded that he did have a point.
So have a great day friends and I’ll keep you posted!
Happy New Year 2017
Good afternoon ! Long time no see friends. The last time I posted a blog was August 31, 2015. I’m not completely sure why I stopped blogging; I think it had something to do with me feeling as though I had nothing to say. I know I have friends and family who find that very difficult to believe. Lately, I’ve been writing posts in my head so I thought I might just go ahead and resurrect the blog. I am struggling with updating my information so please bear with me. Wordpress has changed a bit, I’ve aged a bit and the combination is deadly.
My dear husband is a New Year’s Resolution Junkie. I, however, have never felt a compulsion to make or keep new year’s resolutions. This does not stop dear husband from taking me out to dinner every new year’s eve, looking me in the eye and asking straight out what my new resolutions will be. He even begins to prep me during the month of December that January is coming and I will be expected to have that conversation over dinner and wine on the last day of December. Having done CrossFit for seven years, I keep thinking I have this exercise thing down. For the first time in years (read before CrossFit) seasons change and I easily slip into the next season’s clothing. Before CrossFit, I would inevitably need to lose some weight to get into those summer shorts after a winter of indulging in comfort foods. So my handy go to of losing ten pounds for the new year doesn’t usually fly anymore. Over the past several years, I have made some gains in the gym. I can now do unassisted pull-ups, toes to bar, hand stand push ups and double unders. All movements that have shown up more than once on my new year’s resolution list. I’ve competed in the CrossFit Open and qualified for and competed in the Master’s CrossFit Regionals in the Women’s age group 60 and above for the past three years. A goal that had also shown up on the list. I have wanted to put going to the CrossFit games as a goal; however, as I’ve told the kids at the gym my ranking the last three years has put me firmly in the top 80 category every year and the pool of badass sixty year old plus women just keeps getting bigger. At age 63, I cringe knowing the new 59’s are moving up into my age category. So here we are again. It’s now 2017. Dear husband will not be denied.
I am 63 years old. I want to be in good shape. I want to look decent in my clothes. I want to be healthy. But there is a part of me that is getting tired of all the struggling and striving. I’m tired of logging my food. I’m tired of watching what I eat. I’m tired of working out especially on days when we have burpees and I’m slamming my body and face into the floor. But I also know deep down inside that if I stopped I would not be happy either. And with all I do, I still struggle with high blood pressure and high cholesterol . So I’m wracking my brain to come up with a resolution list for dear husband. I had allowed myself to eat absolutely anything I wanted during the holidays and the pants were getting a tad tight. So last week I went back to my normal way of eating – read macros and paleo. On the second day I could barely function. I was nauseous and had a headache. And it hit me. I was having sugar and bad carb withdrawal! I have come to the realization that I am a sugarholic. I was sitting here on the evening of day two craving sugar. I would have killed for a hershey kiss. It took four days to feel somewhat human again. And then, of course, new year’s eve dinner came with all of its various goodies….
So I’m sitting here committed to making 2017 the year I slay the sugar dragon in my life. I know what I have to do. I’ve been doing it for most of my life; trying to live a healthy lifestyle. When I was younger I could abuse my body and it miraculously survived pretty much intact. That is not the case anymore. I don’t really want to do this. I am actually dreading the process. I love sugar so very much. And food. And good wine. I am fortunate to have friends from all ages. Another benefit of CrossFit. These kids know so much more today than I ever did about how to take good care of themselves. But us old timers (masters if you will) unfortunately most are not living a lifestyle full of vim and vigor after a certain age. Because we get tired. We don’t want to do it anymore. We feel like we finally deserve to let go and live a little. I get it I really do. “I hear you” as a dear friend of mine says.
But I’ve decided to dig in and recommit myself to healthy eating. I am choosing to slay the sugar dragon. I am choosing to continue this journey by pursuing the healthiest possible version of myself. I’m inviting you to come along with me. I’ll keep you posted.
In Memory of Scott DeCoste
This past Saturday the Hampton Roads CrossFit community came together at CrossFit Krypton to raise money for a beloved member of the Krypton box who had been recently diagnosed with stage four esophagal cancer. This morning our dear friend lost his battle with cancer.
Since Scott was diagnosed with cancer, I have watched with absolute amazement as the box rallied around a fellow member. Almost immediately a meals list was established. A box was set up in the main room to collect kindergarten supplies for his granddaughter who lives with Scott and his wife, Lisa. Members who worked out with Scott became regular visitors to the hospital and his home. And when it was discovered that the DeCoste family could use some help with finances, the Scott DeCoste charity WOD was held on Saturday. It was a huge success and, once again, I was stunned at the outpouring of support from the CrossFit community. I met people who had never met Scott who came out to support him because he was a fellow CrossFitter who was struggling and in need.
I am asked regularly why I love CrossFit. I have been doing CrossFit for over five years. I have never been a member of any other gym for that length of time.
What keeps me going back is the sense of community. The workouts are tough. But no matter how hard or difficult, no matter if you happen to be the last man standing on the floor your fellow members are standing around you cheering you on to the end. You are not left alone.
Scott was not left alone. In true CrossFit fashion, he was encouraged, cheered and supported until the end of his workout. Scott walked out the last several months of his life with incredible strength and dignity. He showed us how it’s supposed to be done. Our hearts are heavy today. Scott will be missed dearly.
We mourn with his wife Lisa and the rest of his family. Rest in peace Scott.
You were Krypton Strong until the end.
Phew! Ben Smith Fever!
Okay. I’m sorry. I just realized that it has been quite awhile since I wrote a post. However,in my defense, we have been experiencing some serious Ben Smith fever in our neck of the woods lately. For those not aware, Ben Smith is the owner of my box. Yes. Ben Smith. That Ben Smith. Fittest Man in the World Ben Smith. For weeks prior to the CrossFit Games Ben Smith signs began to creep up all over town.
One never knew when a Ben sign would show up.
Not having a yard was no excuse not to share a Ben Smith sign. And so it began. Ben Smith fever. Now we at the box knew Ben was gonna win this thing. It was his seventh time to the Games. Ben is no stranger to the podium having stood on it twice in the past six years. However, this was his year. This was the year he was bringing home first place. He told us that. And Ben does what he says he’s going to do.
And this became the Krypton battle cry to the Games. It was all quite exciting. We’ve watched Ben go to the Games before. But this year we just KNEW it was his year. Except everyone else thought it was Matt Fraser’s year. Matt came in second to Rich Froning in the 2014 Games. Matt was the media darling and folks made the decision to underestimate Mr. Smith. Ben Smith has an iron will running in his blood. He works hard. And he never, ever, ever gives up. Ever.
Ben was tenacious! He never once lost his focus. And now he has been crowned the Fittest Man in the World!!!
We are so proud and so excited for our wonderful coach and friend. But the best thing now is he’s home. Back in Chesapeake with his family and friends.
Welcomed home by the ones who love him the most. Thanks Ben for showing the rest of the world what you’ve worked so hard to teach us – work hard, never give up, always walk with integrity and honesty, never, ever complain and have fun.
We’re glad you’re home coach. And Congratulations on a great win!
Badass Body Diet Update
Ok. So today is the third day of the Badass Body Diet. Yesterday was not a very good day. By dinner time I had missed two meals and two snacks. It was a busy day and I overslept which put me behind right from the beginning of my day. I did get my recovery shake in but I lived off that til dinner time. I don’t recommend this approach to the diet and Christmas doesn’t either. She wants you to eat your first meal within 45 minutes of waking up and so far I’ve missed this meal three days in a row. I am currently sitting at ballet class, it is 11:00, and I haven’t had anything but coffee. I did bring apple slices and peanut butter with me but haven’t taken the time to eat it yet. I am hoping to get my “hard” copy of the Badass Body Diet book today. I think that will help me to identify foods I need to eat at each meal quicker than is possible on my Kindle. I am grateful that Christmas is a low maintenance gal and there is not a lot of cooking involved in the diet. I grilled chicken last night, weighed and measured my portion, and planned on eating the leftovers today. However, the hubby came home, eyed that chicken and ate more than his share – read he ate all the remainder of the chicken.
I finally weighed myself this morning to get an idea of my starting weight. I will tell you my age but I will never ever tell you my weight. I am sure I’ve already lost 10 pounds ….. but who knows since I was afraid to weigh myself after eating a pint of ice cream Sunday before I started the diet on Monday. I really wanted a glass of wine last night but, with the help of my daughter talking me down, was able to resist. I shared with her my idea of having a “cheat” on Saturday or Sunday and restarting the diet on Monday as Christmas says that if you cheat you have to restart the 21 days. My daughter said this was not what Christmas meant and you are supposed to go the entire 21 days without a cheat. There are days I regret raising such a moral child and this is one of those times.
Additional Updates: Soooo. I did pretty good until day five which was Friday. And I did good on Friday until the evening whereupon I had wine, cashews and oreos for dinner.
My daughter reminded me that oreos are vegan but I had ten of them so I was pretty sure by this time that I would have to be starting over the diet per Christmas’ 21 day rules. Saturday I had three orange crushes with crab legs down at the beach but was feeling pretty virtuous about not eating any ice cream that day as is my habit. Sunday was Father’s Day and I ate so much on Saturday that by Sunday I had given myself an upset stomach and did not feel like eating much all day. Until Sunday night when I found some leftover Ben & Jerry’s in the freezer and I’m thinking “what the heck I gotta start over tomorrow anyway,” As you can clearly see, I struggle with this diet stuff. However, while at the beach drinking my orange crushes and eating my crab legs this absolutely ripped, gorgeous woman walked into the restaurant. Usually when I see these types they are young women but this dear lady was …. older. Early fifties I eventually found out. I kept looking at her and telling my hubby that’s the muscle definition I wanted when finally dear hubby told me to just go over and talk to her. Turns out she’s a personal trainer, tried crossfit but it wasn’t a fit for her. So I asked her for her deepest darkest secret about getting those ripped muscles. And …… she eats clean. All the time. As we were talking her husband ordered her a salad with chicken on it and water. Geesh. Okay Christmas. Here We Go Again. Day One.
Here We Go Again!
I do not like to diet. But if you have read my blog for any time now you know that I am always looking for the perfect diet plan. Until I was in my forties I did not have to diet. And that was fine by me. But once I hit my forties it seemed like all I had to do was smell food and I would gain weight. I have tried every diet ever invented. They all work. Really. The problem is you have to follow them. And that is where it seems to break down for me. Because I do not like to diet. I have tried Weight Watchers, Zone, South Beach, Jenny Craig and Paleo. I have dabbled with eating vegetarian. They mostly work. But I quickly get bored and they seem to be a lot of work. Except Jenny Craig. I really like Jenny Craig; however, all the foods are frozen and processed and that is supposed to be bad for you so I’ve been staying away from her for awhile now. So I was intrigued when a new diet came across my Facebook feed. Thanks Lisa. It is called the Badass Body Diet by Christmas Abbott. I quickly downloaded it onto my Kindle to see if it was something I would remotely consider doing. It would have to be something very easy and not complicated because – I don’t like to cook. Left to my own devices I could cheerfully live on rotisserie chicken and steamable veggies and raisin bran. But, alas, I’ve tried that and seem to manage to gain weight on even that combination.
As you can see from the cover of Christmas’ book, the diet has seemed to work very well for her. I want this to work as well for me. Sigh.
Ok. Update. I stated writing this last night. I started the diet today. Today was not a good day to start a diet. Of course, I’m not sure any day is good to start a diet but I always start my diets on Monday. I have usually given up on the diet by Friday which gives me Saturday and Sunday to eat everything I want in order to start my new diet on Monday. I ate a pint of ice cream last night in preparation for today’s diet. Full disclosure and all that. I ordered the Kindle version of the book which is difficult. There are lists of acceptable foods and it can be hard to find what I’m looking for on the Kindle. Last night I spent some time mapping out my meals and writing everything down so it would be easy for me to grab what I needed. After that, I ordered a hard copy of the book from Amazon which should be here mid-week. When my husband asked me why I ordered two copies of the same book, I used the ole “don’t you want me to be successful” approach to spending money. Thank goodness he was tired and went to sleep. Back in the old days if I charged something it took quite a while for the statement to come which gave me plenty of time to think up good excuses. Now the order shows up on his phone. Geesh. Sorry I digress. Anyway, when I got up this morning I was supposed to eat within 45 minutes of waking up. This did not happen. I took my recovery drink to the gym for after the workout. And then the day fell apart. I missed two snacks and lunch. I’m going to a cookout tonight and I spent some time packing food before I go. According to the menu map I am supposed to have a steak tonight; however, there will be hamburgers at the cookout. I am not sure how this is going to work. I hope tomorrow goes a bit better. It is hard to eat two snacks and a meal at one sitting. This is also a very busy week. Looks like there might be quite a bit of food packing happening. My husband did ask me today why I started the diet when the hard copy of the book won’t be delivered to me until mid-week.
He thought I should wait to start the diet until after I had the book. I would try to explain to him that I must start all my diets on Monday but this might be too much for him right now after me trying to get him to understand why I needed two copies of this book to start the diet. Christmas does have rules with her diet like you must eat within the first 45 minutes of waking up. And, as with all good diets, there is nothing really good to eat on this diet. Christmas asks us to give her 21 days. She also says that if you cheat the game is all over and you much start over with the diet. I have figured out that this will probably work for me since I usually end my diets by Friday and then I can start again on Monday. There is no alcohol and no sugar allowed. My husband asked me what makes this diet different from all the other diets I have tried. Frankly I am not sure. Except I keep looking at the picture of Christmas Abbott on the cover of the book. She’s our CrossFit girl. And maybe just maybe if I can keep this up for 21 days I just might ….. nah. Best I can hope for is to lose the pounds I put on during vacation. But I’ll keep you posted just the same.
Random Thoughts
The problem with writing a blog is that sometimes you have absolutely nothing to say. I am sure there are friends of mine reading this who are shaking their heads. They think I have plenty to say and don’t have trouble expressing myself. In person.
But sometimes with a blog you just can’t find anything to write about. I could talk about my inability to stay on a diet. I recommit myself daily to eating healthy. I even have a note over my kitchen sink reminding me to pursue a healthy lifestyle. I do very good during the day and then at night I just want to sit in front of the television and eat. I eat dinner there. Then I want to snack. Sometimes, in pursuit of calorie control, I go directly to dessert. This seems more efficient than counting dinner and dessert calories. However, I can’t say it encourages a healthy lifestyle. I could talk about wanting to burn more calories so I’ve started to run in addition to doing CrossFit. This is probably necessary because I am eating dessert instead of dinner. There are days I don’t want to exercise at all. So adding running to the mix can be a challenge. I struggled with exercising during the winter and thought it was because it was cold. This is not true. I continue to struggle with working out. Left to my own devices I would cheerfully sit with a book all day long – preferably with a snack. I love to read and eat. I read the newspaper in the morning and spend the rest of the day with my nose in a book.
I have a long list of things I need to do on a daily basis. This reading thing gets in the way of a lot of stuff. Laundry, cleaning, yard work. Cooking. I do not like to cook. It rates up there for me with unloading the dishwasher. Or folding laundry. There are people who love to cook. I envy them. I bet they have all kinds of interesting meals. My default is a rotisserie chicken and steamable vegetables. I eat that almost every day. I get tired of eating chicken and vegetables. I get tired of attempting to eat healthy. When I was younger I ate all kinds of fun stuff. Spaghetti, casseroles and …. pancakes. I cannot eat like that anymore. I am too old. The doctor tells me I must exercise and eat healthy. Eating healthy is hard for me; like handstand pushups. I see no redeeming value of women my age flipping themselves upside down to do a pushup. So lately I’ve been craving spaghetti. With real pasta. I don’t want spaghetti squash and I don’t want whole wheat pasta. Don’t try to tell me they taste the same. When I was younger I got up each morning and ate whatever I was hungry for. Then I planned dinner according to what sounded good. Now I agonize over carbohydrates. And protein. Today there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about fat. Used to be fat was not our friend. Now fat is our friend. But not if I eat it with carbohydrates. Fat is only my friend when I eat it with protein. The rules of healthy eating change all the time and I can’t keep up with all the changes. The major advantage of CrossFit has been that when the seasons change my clothes still fit. Before CrossFit it was always a crapshoot as to whether or not my clothes from the previous season would fit. I want six pack abs. My coaches tell me if I stopped eating crap I might be able to see them. They do not talk to me like that. I take artistic license with the sage advice they give me. They are always very subtle and very gentle when they talk to me. But I understand what they are trying to tell me. Eat a healthy diet! I have food apps on my phone. Exercise apps. Diet apps. Diet cookbooks.
I can choose Paleo, SouthBeach, Zone, Weight Watchers. Jenny Craig. I don’t want to choose. I just want to eat. Spaghetti.
What’s In A Name?
I want a name. I don’t have a name and I want one. When I want something my usual response is to figure out what I need to do to get that which I want. For example, I know that if I want to qualify for the games in California as a 60+ women’s athlete I will have to be able to do hand stand push ups, rope climbs and muscle dips. Mr. Castro has drawn his line and if that is something I want I will have to master those movements. It does not matter that I think 60+ women have no business throwing themselves upside down against a wall and attempting to do pushups. I have an entire blog post entitled Dave’s House, Dave’s Rules. I respect Mr. Castro and his right to make the rules. But I still want a name.
Last week at the box, Mr. Smith, Ben’s dad, was putting up the names. As I was standing there I was thinking “I want a name.” And, of course, my next thought is “what do I have to do to get a name?” My first thought was “you need to go to the games silly.” Except Ben is the only one who is going to California. And there are four names on the wall. Ben Smith has a name, Adam Klink has a name, Rachel Doucet has a name and Alec Smith has a name. Alas, I have no name. It says on the name boards the name of the athlete, Regionals 2015, mid-atlantic region. I qualified for regionals. I have no name. I am sure the reason I have no name is because master’s athletes don’t “go” to regionals. They do their workouts at their home box and submit their scores just like the Open. Hence, there is no reason to give them names. So I am still without a name.
I really wish I had a name. Sigh.
Crossfit Krypton – What My Coaches Have Taught Me
I have been working out at CrossFit Krypton for two years. I have been doing Crossfit for five years. I started out at another box before coming to Krypton. I have mentioned this before in earlier blogs, but everyone who does Crossfit thinks they have the best coaches. It is the nature of this sport. Each Crossfit facility has a different “flavor” as it were and folks are encouraged to find the box that fits them best. So I’m not going to argue with you. I know you think your coaches are the best coaches in the whole entire world. However, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I have the best coaches in the world. And the best box. We have a very family oriented box. Several families workout together at our box. Teens right along side of their mothers and fathers. This is very fun to watch because you can see that the relationship they have developed at the box somehow translate into their relationship at home. And, as you also know from this blog, I am 61 years old.
A master’s crossfit athlete. I’ve been around a few years. There are not a lot of master’s crossfit coaches out there; or at least I haven’t found them. At both the boxes I have been a member of the coaches have been young. Really young. I will admit here that it can be hard to take direction from someone who is younger than your own children. I have even said to them that I have furniture older than they are! But I will say I have learned a lot from my coaches over the past two years.
Ben Smith owns our box. He is our head coach. He is the boss. He is also young. That said, Ben has a level of maturity not found in most young men his age. He is also very good at Crossfit. What I have learned from Ben is focus and self-discipline. Ben is quiet but deadly. You will never hear him boast about his achievements with Crossfit. If he is hurt you will never hear about that either. Ben works out hard. He is quite impressive and fun to watch. When Ben pushes me I trust him. Ben sets the tone for our box that trickles down to all our members. He is someone you want to work hard for. In Regionals when I finished my 40 pull-ups the one thing I remember thinking was “is Ben proud of me.” Ben can block out everything around him push through any amount of pain and discomfort. Because he is Ben Smith we often have photographers at the box. I remember one time mumbling that the cameras made me uncomfortable. Ben told me to “block them out.” To just focus on what was in front of me. This helped me immeasurably in competitions.
Adam Klink. Adam is kind. The box is my happy place. But there are times in my personal life when I have been upset. Adam has the ability to totally hone in on those few times I have come to the box to work through my issues. He knows when I’m on the verge of tears and knows how to talk me through it and how to get me through a workout that I desperately need to bring balance to my life. On my own I would have probably just walked away.
Ryan Sica. Ryan is quietly supportive. Ryan wants to be a doctor. He will make a very good doctor because he already has the bedside manner down pat. He knows how to encourage quietly without resorting to yelling and screaming. He was one of my scorers during both the Open and Regionals. During the Open I had bronchitis and was very sick. It was the workout with the 50 wall balls and 100 double unders. Ryan just stood there next to me patiently and quietly telling me I could do it. I did not think I could do it but Ryan thought I could. During Regionals I had those 40 unassisted pull ups. I had only done unassisted pull-ups one other time in a workout before Regionals. Once again, Ryan stood next to me patiently counting them out and encouraging me to do “just one more.” I think I remember telling him I loved him during the workout because he was so calm and that was just what I needed at that time. Did I tell you Ryan wants to be a doctor? He will be really good.
Alec Smith. Alec is fun. Alec loves to compete. Alec is a showman when it comes to his working out.
He enjoys competing and playing to the crowd. I wish I could enjoy competing the way Alec does. He makes it look like so much fun. I have been working on enjoying the competing piece of Crossfit. Trying to relax. Alec has a background in gymnastics and it is a beautiful thing to watch. He has a gracefulness to his workouts. Alec is a delight to watch because you know he is having so much fun.
I am trying to relax and have more fun with my workouts.
All of these are young men. It could difficult for me to take direction from coaches so much younger than myself. However, they are men of such integrity and character that they make it easy for the rest of us to follow. Ben, Adam and Alec are going to Regionals in Atlanta this weekend. I’ve watched them in my gym. They have worked hard. They deserve to go to Regionals. They will be fun to watch. But at the end of the day I will be grateful when they come home and take up their day to day commitment to those of us at the box who look to them for direction and guidance. We are very fortunate to have that level of coaching in our lives day in and day out.
Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Thanks guys. And good luck this weekend at Regionals.
crossfitnana-ageisjustanumber 