2013 has not exactly started in the way I had hoped. I had high ambitions of jumping right into perfect bricks and participating in more snowshoe races. Although I have not been completely sedentary, I am disappointed in how the year is panning out. Nonetheless, now that I am into the second month of the year, I feel that I am getting my act together, finally!
The month of January was actually not a total wash--I completed 13 perfect brick days and participated in one snowshoe race in Hollis. The snowshoe race with my friend Alaka was enjoyable. Could I have put more effort into a faster pace? Sure, but it was really more about getting outside and having some fun! I had plans to complete at least 3-4 more snowshoe races but was derailed by our honeymoon in Jamaica and another back muscle injury.
Jamaica was fabulous and I'd return in a heartbeat! Mark and I did moderate cardio and lifting while we were there. I continued with my frequency pushups throughout that trip. Also, we participated in a variety of water sports including snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and jogging on the white sand beach. Despite a fairly active trip, I indulged heavily in delicious foods and beverages. And this was ok. After all, I had worked out in order to enjoy our trip. However, I had plans to jump right back into my routine/food plan as soon as we returned from our trip. But unfortunately, my body had other plans...
About three days prior to Jamaica, I strained a muscle somewhere in the right side of my back. I ignored it and figured I'd be easier on it during the vacation. I felt some pains during the trip but didn't push it to the extreme so I was able to function normally.
Upon returning from our trip, I went to crossfit on Monday. I'm not exactly sure if it was the overhead press or kettlebell swings that pushed the injury over the edge, but I was in a lot of pain that evening. The next day, after sitting at my desk for an extended period of time, I stood up and felt a stabbing pain that made it difficult to move and breathe. It seemed I had pushed my body to its limits and it was time to see the chiropractor. This is also meant some serious forced rest. Unfortunately, when I am not active, it is very difficult to maintain healthy habits due to boredom.I ended up taking a total of 8 days off with just a few low-impact elliptical sessions mixed in. My food choices during this rest period were awful. I still drank my gallon of water every day and had a decent breakfast but that was where my healthy habits stopped. I ate a lot of carbs/sweets during the afternoon and evening hours. I did not cut carbs at 2PM and had wine in the evenings. The result was irritability in mood, difficulty sleeping, and of course, some weight gain.
Last week, after 5 sessions with the chiropractor, I finally felt almost one hundred percent better. I went to three sessions of crossfit, completed four sessions of fasted cardio, and made much better food choices. It was so easy to fall into a pattern of poor habits and a much bigger challenge to dig myself out. I also started running on the treadmill again which helped me feel like I was making substantial progress.
Even though I started 2013 a bit slow, I still have plans to make this a great year for physical fitness. The next steps to meeting this goal are committing to some races and getting involved in some of the crossfit open sessions at White Mountain Crossfit in March! Additionally, I will plan to blog weekly as it holds me accountable. Finally, I will look to the people and blogs that inspire me: Ignite the Fire, Irongirl & Ultrarunning Boy, Live Free & Run,, Weaving in the Ends, House Bella , and of course White Mountain Crossfit..
Week of February 11th Workouts:
Monday- AM Elliptical/ afternoon xfit
Tuesday- AM run
Wednesday- PM xfit
Thursday- AM elliptical/ afternoon xfit
Friday- AM run
Saturday- rest
Sunday- afternoon run
* 6 days of frequency pushups 5 sets of 20
