30 days

Today marks 30 days since my first day at LAXCrossfit thanks to an AmazonLocal deal. Membership over. Yesterday was my last hard workout at the box. I start training for the LA Marathon with my adolescent team of runners this Sunday.

One of the reasons I started Crossfit (besides the sweet deal) was because I wanted to learn more exercises and training activities to incorporate into my workouts and believe me I did.

I also learned that I tend to err on the side of caution and with a little support and encouragement, can surprise myself with my abilities. Yesterday I did a back squat with 80lbs on the bar. Holy crap, I thought to myself. I can do this! It was almost twice the amount of weight as one month ago. James, the evening coach said that I made it look easy. Ha! That was the compliment of the year.

If there was one important theoretical concept I learned while at the box three times a week (twice last week because of the car accident/start of work/too much drama taking up my time. I know I said I'd go four times, but that was just too difficult) was to remember what I am capable of and to expand my abilities from my starting point-not someone else's.

This revelation surprised me yesterday as I was dragging my exhausted body upstairs to my bedroom after the workout. Seeing as this program is so intense and has such an incredible reputation for bad-ass-100%-in-your-face-intense workouts and the misperception that crossfitters are lifting hundreds of pounds (some of them are, but not everyone in the box does), I expected to be pushed much harder than I was. There was a strong emphasis on proper form and getting it right rather than going big.

I learned how to lift weights properly and have since learned to get better at proper form (my arms have taken much self-criticism because they can't stay straight for thrusters or jerks).

I learned that I don't have to put a hundred pounds on a bar to look cool if the work out calls for multiple reps for many minutes of the same weight. I want to be able to last during the workout until the last second-that's the endurance athlete in me. Despite the group workouts or the fact that I had to memorize my box-mates names for each workout, it was training for me. I improved for me. That was exciting.

I truly appreciate the team mentality and the support I got from the other box mates during our one hour of sweat and muscle confusion. It was cool to hear the words of encouragement and it was nice that others appreciated mine. I loved hearing how great I did during a workout and that Kasuza (the morning coach) believed I could move up another level of KettleBell weight or that I was getting better at my kipping pull up. I know I push my runners to believe in themselves, but I think I can do a better job at showing them how to do that, thanks to what I saw from Kazusa.

There are some things that I probably won't incorporate into the marathon training-the paleo diet being one of them. I can hardly get teenagers to eat more than hot cheetos and soda, much less get them to eat and enjoy spinach instead of a granola bar. Baby steps. Plus, I love bread. Freshly baked bread and manchego cheese takes me back to Spain every time I have the opportunity to savor them together. I won't give that up-and I don't expect others to give it up either. It is my hope that the youngsters also incorporate "better" foods into their system too.

I am contemplating going back to the box after SRLA marathon training season. I had a great time. My knees are just now getting used to the extra weight and my body is barely getting used to the perpetual soreness.

On another note, my whole body yearns a long run. I think I'll do that this weekend.

Fear of the tuber

I think potatoes get a bad rap.

Maybe it's because people love fried potatoes, or maybe because they are so scrumptious and people can't control themselves from eating many many many servings of those oh so delicious, starch infused tubers.

Ever since I could walk, potatoes were my best friend. My grandparents always had a house full of potatoes, rarely would they buy them. My grandfather, a local mechanic, would often be paid or thanked in rations of fruits and vegetables from local farms from the Coachella Valley. The potato sacks would sit behind the kitchen door, waiting to be cooked for breakfast, steamed for lunch or chopped for dinner.

I would sit on the sack of potatoes, with my teddy bear and watch my grandmother cook. As a toddler, I would sit there for hours until discovered by my uncle Felipito (the eldest) who would yell for me to get out of the kitchen. I would go back to my sacred secret spot once he went outside to help my grandpa work on cars.

As the years passed, I no longer sit on the sack of potatoes but still buy them by the sack....when they are on sale for $1/10 lb bag.

I thought about this story as I prepared to make a cauliflower and potato baked soup (oh the things I find on Pinterest).

It's a challenge to find health food articles that don't shun potatoes. I find plenty of recipes and articles on Runners World and other endurance nutrition sites but potatoes and their starch and carb components don't seem to bode well for those just trying to shed pounds (why doesn't anyone talk about how much Vitamin C a potato holds?). Although there are plenty of places that will try to tell me that potatoes are the devil...I have to remind myself that I am a runner and they indeed work for me. We're going to stay friends.

As for the potato/cauliflower baked puree/soup-well it's just fabulous and didn't need any butter! I got the recipe from SkinnyTaste.com and only substituted out a few ingredients. You know the trick to not overeating this amazing dish? To buy serving size dishes. The bowl I posted is 1 cup (yes I measured it). Eating slow also makes for a more satiated appetite.

Apparently it is a weight watchers recipe:

2 russet potatoes, washed and dried

1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets

1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth

1 1/2 cups 1% reduced-fat milk

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 cup light sour cream (I used coconut milk instead)

10 tbsp reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I mixed the cheeses-sharp cheddar, pepper jack and queso fresco)

6 tbsp chopped chives, divided

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon if you prefer)-I didn't use any bacon

Find out more at http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/02/baked-potato-soup.html. Happy healthy eating!

Fran 4:33

Fundies graduation was:

Fran

21, 15, 9

Thruster

Pull-ups

Okay, but I only had 25lbs on for the Thruster and I completed Jumping Pull-ups. Still a workout beyond insane. I finished, graduated and am on to the "real" classes. Oh joy.

Today, we learned how to execute a split jerk. I remember watching the Olympic competition on the clean and jerk earlier in the week so it was pretty inspiring to learn how to properly do this. Well, I haven't quite perfected this, I just did it. With 45 lbs on my bar.

Wow.

We did 7x2 on the "most" weight we could do. Yikes! Sometimes I get frustrated with my inability to withstand more weight, but I remind myself of the baby steps necessary to achieve.

Today's workout From the LAX Crossfit site:

Strength.
Split Jerk 7×2

Met-Con.
AMRAP 12:
15 KB Swings (2 pd/1.5 pd-I used 3/4 pd)
50′ Overhead Weighted Walking Lunge (45#/25#)
15 Wall Ball (20#/16#-I used 10#)
50′ Overhead Weighted Walking Lunge

I am quickly learning that my muscles can withstand much more than I give them credit for. Today I did overhead lunges with a 25lb weight and used the 10lb wall ball-way more than I thought I would be able to use this close to starting the program. I guess strength training for the last two weeks has really helped me. I need to have more confidence in my abilities. Kazusa has really encouraged me to push myself to go farther. It's nice to have a female coach in the program.

Learning all these new strategies on training will really help me out with my runners this marathon season. I am really excited to try some of this new stuff out with the youngsters. I am also thinking about ways to have them work as teams for training. Oh the possibilities.

For my snack yesterday, I made myself some spinach parmesan dip. It was incredibly delicious! I had to put it away to prevent myself from eating it all.

Here is the recipe (I found it on Pinterest and modified it for what I like-more cheese and more garlic):

10 oz fresh spinach chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cloves fresh garlic minced

1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 stalk green onion, sliced

salt and pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 370 degrees

Stir all ingredients together, pour in oven safe bowl, bake for 25-30 minutes or until there is a nice golden brown brown crust around the edges.

This serves as many people as can eat it. Not a very good paleo option, but delicious nonetheless.