11.11.11

Certified

Soooooo.....after a lovely (cold) weekend in Portland and a loooong week of waiting for test results, I can now say that I am a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. Yay! This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I love writing and I teach writing, so it made sense to me to teach CrossFit since, well, I love CrossFit. So here is a recap of the past week or so.


The Cert
I sat down for the Cert and looked through my binder and notes. Some of us noticed a short guy in a red sweatshirt and a knit cap walking around up front. Then the whispering started. Was that ... could it be...Heck yeah! Chris Spealler was our instructor! Awesome! He's like, as CrossFit as you can get! 


Our first day was filled with lots of basic CrossFit info and reviewing the 9 basic movements of CrossFit. We ended the day with Fran. Spealler joked at the beginning that we were going to do it right then (like 9am day one) and actually, by the end of that day, I wish we had done it earlier. I was pretty tired and hungry but still determined to RX it. And much to my dismay, I was the last person in my heat to finish and EVERYONE watched me do my pull-ups. They even no-repped me a few times! I got a 6 second PR and finished in 9:01. Fran is not my friend.  And, honestly, it kinda looks like Fran punched me in the face a little.
He's a little stronger than me, but I'm catching up!
Day 2 featured more skills practice, a lecture on nutrition (interesting after being immersed in the Whole 30), and a fun workout involving running, double unders, and kb swings. After lots of fun stuff, we took the test. Full disclosure: I didn't really study for the test. I should have. But I didn't. And yes, I passed. But I've also been doing CrossFit for over 2 years. Still, it was stressful. All of the trainers at the Cert were awesome. I came back energized and all full of CrossFit love. I come in on Monday for some Mobility work and to cheer on my friends through Nancy. And then...


I got sick.


I never get sick. Stupid cold. I tried working out on Tuesday - double unders and power cleans. Awesome! Not so much! I was exhausted through the whole thing and couldn't get my hips to work. Ugh. I had to take 2 rest days in a row this week! Today I'm feeling a little better and I am going to go in. I know I have other hobbies, but I miss my friends. One of the factors that could have caused this setback:


My Poor Eating Habits
Fine. I did the Whole 30. Then I eased back into my life. Then I just went off the deep end. Dessert every night! And a glass of wine! Moderation? What does that mean?


To give you an example, after day one of the Cert, I went back to my hotel and ate at the restaurant. I don't just get one bad thing. I get:

  • A burger (with bacon and a fried egg - but no cheese!)
  • A glass of wine
  • AND A piece of pie WITH ice cream

Why? Why do I do this? Why can't I get one bad thing? Why do I have to do it all? Yes, I was so hungry after that long day, but I didn't need to do this. And I've started to get take-out more and more, which I know I don't need to do (given, my take out is better than fast food, but still).


So I've decided to do a Whole 10. I need smaller goals and some sense of direction. I need to remind myself that I can control myself. Today is day 2. I can totally make it, because honestly, I need to


Do Better
I haven't made any real progress since Spring. Yes, I've set PRs on some benchmarks lately, but they aren't big PRs (a few seconds here and there). I know I can lift more and run faster. I need to have a period of gains and in order to do that, I need to take this stuff seriously. So I need to dial in my eating, focus on form, and take rest days. Lead by example. That's my goal.

3 comments:

Sam J said...

"Yes, I've set PRs on some benchmarks lately, but they aren't big PRs"
W. T. F. Robin?

"It doesn't matter what whether its by an inch or a mile; Winning is winning." - Vin Diesel. (reassembled his name spelss "I end Lives")

Did i use the semicolon appropriately there?

Katy said...

You should be proud of how well you've done! A PR is still a PR! Congratulations on your cert. You will be a great CF coach, sarcasm and all. :)

On the other hand, I know how you feel about getting back into control. I eased back from the Whole30 really well until I started a full time job that suddenly became very stressful. I have eaten so much sugar lately I think I can feel the insulin seeping through my pores... ugh. Sean and I are starting Paleo tomorrow though (after a wine and food event tonight, ha).

If you want to lift more and run faster, focus on one at a time. For strength, before or after the WOD a few days a week do some strength exercises. Do some heavy back or front squats, work on squat cleans, push presses, etc. Same thing for running. Run an extra 400 or 800m before or after. Running more often (even not at a fast pace) will make you a faster runner. I would focus on strength now and running in the spring when you can be outside more often. Good luck!

Emilee9 said...

WAHOO. soo jealous of your pic with Spealler. I met him but didn't even think to get a picture ;)
Look forward to taking your classes. I'm sure you will bust my balls!