Goodbye March!

 

March Miles. As March comes to a close, I look forward to what April will bring. I am hoping for some sunshine, snow-free sidewalks, and non-frigid temperatures. The FitFluential 100 Miles in March challenge is over and I must admit I am very happy about that. Due to slacking a bit in the earlier part of the month (snow, cold, dark outside, etc.), I really had to cram in higher mileage as the month went on. Unfortunately, I am still waiting on my new running shoes and my old ones are so bad I am limited to walking in them vs. running. Walking is a SLOW way to accomplish 100 miles. I got it done, but I logged some serious time on the treadmill. The few times that I braved the natural elements and went outside, I enjoyed the fresh air. If I had not committed to this challenge, I most likely would have stayed in bed, so it certainly served a purpose.

SBBC Week 2. Week 2 went well for the Spring Bootie Buster Challenge. I racked up some serious activity points and continued to dominate in water consumption. Vegetables still seem to be low on my priority list, so I started today with a big salad topped with chicken and a paleo vinaigrette. It was an odd breakfast choice, but it hit the spot.

Bricks. I don’t know if I will take on any April challenges, but I will be working on those perfect bricks. For 2014, I have completed 37 perfect bricks, which is about a 37% success rate—not so hot! The plan for April is to commit to at least 5-6 per week as I still have 113 to complete by the summer (hopefully early rather than later). This was how I achieved optimal results in 2012, but it is very difficult. Then, the wedding dress was the motivation. Now, I’m not sure other than wanting to look and feel good—which should be strong enough motivators!

Races. I’ve signed up for my first 5K of the season! The Merrimack County Savings Bank RockN’ Race happens in May and is a great team building event. I’ve registered with our White Mountain Crossfit team for a second year and am looking forward to it. I’d like to beat my time from last year 28:69, but I know that will take some training on my part. I may attempt to get back into the track workouts with GSRT on Tuesdays. My struggle with this group is that while very positive and friendly, they are just sooooo fast! I do not enjoy finishing last and each week is humbling. Nonetheless, I cannot improve without adding in some speed training. In 2012, I had a 26:37, but I was coming off half marathon training and an intense crossfit challenge. I am signing up for Pumpkinman Sprint Triathlon in April. I’ve found some workout buddies, and it gives plenty of time to train throughout the summer.

14.5 Recap. The 2014 Crossfit Open has been rough. It would not be fitting for it to end with something less than gruesome. For 14.5 we had to complete a thruster and burpee over bar combination. 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 as fast as possible. The weight requirement for women was 65lbs and I had to drop to 55lbs pretty fast. Due to a scheduling conflict on Saturday (I attended a Whole 30 seminar-very cool!); I had to complete the workout this afternoon. I had some dread about it most of the day as I had already heard the stories from friends, but I made it the WMCF and faced the challenge. The workout took me 21 minutes and it was horrible. But it is done and I can say that I completed the open to the best of my ability. I have some serious areas for improvement and hope to work on those over the spring, summer, and fall.

~Laura