Double Unders and Bison Balls

Last year, I accomplished my marathon goal of breaking five hours, three times.  I thought about adding more speed work training to the marathon work so that I could run a faster marathon, but I seem to be happy with where I am, training wise. I am going into my fifteenth marathon in exactly one week from today. I did change up some of my training by adding more weights and strength speed work on top of my regular running.  I am a wreck about it. I can't stop wondering whether I put in enough miles or if I trained hard enough. In the last few months, I drastically cut back in running and in making attempts to lift more weight at the CrossFit box. I suffered a hamstring strain and my masseuse told me that my muscles needed a rest, so I took some.



In the last month, I finally accomplished kipping pull ups without the aid of a resistance band. I am still slow at them, but after eight months of working, I did it. I even completed the benchmark girls workout "Fran" without assistance (or as we call it, RX). I finished in 12 minutes and 47 seconds and I couldn't have been more proud of myself.  That score will most certainly will not make it to the CrossFit Games like the woman in the video, but it will make into my PR notebook and for now, that's good enough.



For those of you that recall, one of the first benchmark workouts that I completed was Fran, with a 25 pound barbell and jumping pull ups. As scaled back as one could possibly be. At that time, it was humbling, considering that I had completed multiple marathons before stepping foot in a gym and "thought" I was pretty strong.



Completing Fran RX alongside another box mate that also "RX'ed" was a huge confidence booster....that is until the first workout was posted for the CrossFit Games: 14.1.



Our task: AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) 30 Double Unders and 15 Snatches.  My two nemesis because they are two very technical movements that I could get better with practicing the technique every day.  




I'd rather go for a run. 



There are plenty of movements that I have yet to grasp in CrossFit.  Double Unders seem to be the most challenging of the "easy" stuff. In 10 minutes, I completed 118 reps and had plenty of reminders on my arm to show me that I still don't know how to do a proper double under with the jump rope.  Those whiplashes are still sore, two days later.



I was both proud of and embarrassed with myself.

Other people on our team wanted to redo the workout to see if they could get a better score, or more reps completed. I thought about it, and despite the energy and positive encouragement from my box mates, chose otherwise.



I posted my score online and earned another heaping slice of humble pie and a reality check on where I am in the context of the CrossFit world with regards to double-unders and snatching:

...and that's not everyone reporting their scores yet.



Taking this as a metaphor, I see that there will be plenty of things in my life that I can do better by working on technique, and it will come with time and practice. This challenge of signing up for the Open will teach me about how to have patience with myself and my abilities. And maybe in future WOD's, kick ass, too.



Today, I made bison balls, thanks to my good friends at the Honest Bison.



I was having Carolyn come over for a quick visit and I had just thawed my ground bison and wondered what I could do with it without simply making burgers. Balls! In honor or one of my favorite movements in CrossFit: WALL BALLS!



Bison Balls (not paleo): 

1 lb ground bison (of course from the Honest Bison)

2 eggs, whipped

1 cup bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic minced

1/3 cup chives, finely chopped

1 tbsp oregano

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese



Mixed well (with your hands) until everything is well blended. Create small balls, roll them in your hand until they are nice and round. Make sure they are as tightly packed as possible



Heat a pan (Medium heat) of EVOO and place them in the pan, let them brown and rotate them to get all "sides" brown. Remove when all sides are brown.



I added a tzatziki sauce to them, thanks to a box mate that has found many paleo recipes:



3/4 cup coconut milk yogurt

1tbsp fresh lemon juice

1tbsp fresh dill

1tsp fresh mint (I added waaaay more than she did)

1 minced clove garlic (I added 2)

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt



Mix it all in a food processor/blender/whatever you have to mix it all well.  The color may be a bit off since the recipe calls for coconut milk yogurt and it's a bit more transparent than traditional Greek yogurt, but it is freakin' tasty-paleo tasty!!



The mac and cheese is from a recipe previously posted.



I may not be great at mastering double unders quite yet, but I can still throw down in the kitchen.  Baby steps.