Whole 30 Days 1-13

As I anticipated, I've found 2014 to be super busy and therefore a struggle to fit in my blogging. The good news is that I have been busy eating well, completing my fasted cardio, and getting prepped for my college course. I'm thrilled to write that all 14 days of 2014 have been clean eating days and I've had 12 perfect bricks to start out January. Was it hard to get back into? Absolutely. I chose not to celebrate 2014 with champagne so I could begin the new year with a session of fasted cardio. It has been smooth sailing since that evening!

The boot camp class I started at the YMCA in the mornings is great and amps up the energy early. And as always, the Tuesday morning spin class kicks my butt. On days I don't want to go to the gym, I pop in my trusty yoga/pilates/Jillian Michael's shred videos and those wake me right up. I'm actually surprised by how hard some of Jillian's moves are after 2+ years of crossfit. It just shows there are always some muscles that don't get enough attention. I'm still continuing with 3-4 days sessions of crossfit which is always a positive end to my day.

For this round of Whole 30 I did not weigh myself. During Whole 30, some people weigh themselves at the beginning and end (during is discouraged); however, I did not need the scale to tell me what I already knew. I slacked in 2013 and my clothes were tight. Just thirteen days into the program (I started "officially" on 1/2), I already feel the difference. My clothes are looser, my skin is clearer, and my mind is sharper. If that is not proof of the positive effects of clean eating, I'm not sure what other information a person would need. My energy levels have moved around a bit depending on the day, but overall I have more energy because I am sleeping better. Of course early on I had the sugar withdrawal headaches, but made it through with the help of some asprin and tea.

Prepping and cooking for Whole 30 is very time consuming, so that has taken over much of my weekend. This is fine though as I need to stick around home to monitor my online course, add content, and grade submissions. I'm in a routine and as a creature of habit, I am enjoying the routine. It would be nice to have more free time, but I stay out of trouble when I am booked to the brim. I did drop down my pushups reps to focus on quality. I'll continue to add a rep to each set of 5 every week.

Workouts for 2014-

1/1: Fasted AM Jillian Shred & The Method Boot Camp
1/2: Fasted AM Crunch Pilates/Jillian
1/3: Fasted AM Jillian/ Crunch Pilates
1/4: Fasted AM Crunch Pilates & Method Boot Camp
1/5: Fasted AM Crunch Yoga & Jillian Shred
1/6: Fasted AM Boot Camp @ YMCA
1/7: Fasted AM Spin @ YMCA & PM Xfit
1/8: PM Xfit
1/9: Full Rest Day
1/10: Fasted AM Boot Camp @ YMCA & PM Xfit
1/11: Fasted AM Elliptical
1/12: Fasted AM Crunch Pilates & Jillian Shred & Yoga @ Living Yoga
1/13: Fasted AM Boot Camp @ YMCA
1/14: Fasted AM Spin @ YMCA

Here are some images from the first 1/3 of the Whole 30:

31,300 Pushups! Say What?!

Back in October of 2011, when I started up at White Mountain Crossfit, I could only do knee pushups. Seriously--one regular pushup was not something I could fathom completing. I always thought I had very weak arms (uneven bars were a disaster as a little kid), so I did not try. However, Jon introduced me to the concept of frequency pushups. I started with modified pushups and worked my way up to 1 regular pushup. From there, I did 5 sets of 1 for 6 days a week. Each week I'd add a rep to those sets and even though it was challenging, it was possible! In the last two years I worked myself up to as many as 5 sets of 30 per week. In 2013, I focused on completing 5 sets of 20 for 6 days a week. While other areas of my training/nutrition did not always make the mark, I scrounged up the time to complete all of my pushups for 2013. The grand total...31,300!!! Is there something you have always thought you could not do? I challenge you to find a new approach and you just might surprise yourself :)

I bid a not-so-fond farewell to 2013. The year kicked my ass, but I learned quite a bit about myself. I'm starting off 2014 with a Whole 30, and an adjunct teaching position. These changes are in addition to my usual M-Friday advising position and my Sunday Hermanos shift. I will need to be organized and focused, but know that I can be successful in any new challenges that I take on. Crossfit will continue to be an important part of my week with the continuation of the Wendler plan that has been working well for me. I'm also hoping to attend a boot camp and spin class at the YMCA during the week.

On a completely different note, I bought a car today to replace my 2003 Honda Civic. It is bittersweet because even though I need and wanted something in better condition, I've driven all around New England and the mid-Atlantic in it. It is filled with so many memories: driving to nanny in Long Island, driving to Vermont Law to see Mark, commuting for work, and visiting friends. Although it certainly is not the memory, it reminds me of all the things I've experienced in the past 10 years. It will be sad to leave it on the lot this Sunday...

Happy New Year!