SBBC Challenge: Week 1

Amanda over at Run to the Finish is sponsoring a Spring Booty Buster Challenge. I needed an activity to get back into the swing of things after a LONG winter. After week one, I learned a few things about myself. Vegetables are a test, but I can get the 5 servings in if I prepare them in different ways. I made a stir fry, roasted sweet potato and summer squash, boiled a chicken and vegetable soup, etc. I am envious of my husband who likes plain steamed vegetables. Gross—I can’t do it! I’ll watch him devour a heaping bowl of steamed broccoli with just a little salt and pepper. This must be a gene I did not get. In any case, with a little creativity, I hit the vegetable and fruit goal for six of the seven days.

Water was not something I had to focus on as I have been drinking a gallon of water nearly every day for the past two years. I usually start out my morning with at least 16-32oz of water right when I wake up.

Exercise. I did a much better job last week getting up and walking at the YMCA for the FitFluential MarchMiles and my points for the SBBC Challenge. For the 7 days, I completed at least an hour of exercise. Crossfit took a back seat, except on Saturday for 14.4 (I’ll recap that below). For some reason, I feel I have hit another plateau. When I went running on Friday, my mile average had slowed substantially from the last few years. Nearly the entire run, I wondered if I had peaked around age 30/31 and am now doomed to slowly lose my fitness. I sure hope not! It may require some changes, which are on the horizon, so stay tuned. The exercises included in the SBBC challenge seemed helpful, but I know why I go to crossfit. I need someone to demo and then demand effort from me. If it was up to me, I’d probably sit and veg all day, but I find races and coaches who push me. However, the tracking of the exercise points has motivated me to keep pushing forward over the next few months. I definitely flourish in a specific fitness environment.



14.4 Crossfit Open Recap:

This was another brutal workout. I knew I could get a few points on it, but the sacrifice was the skin on my hand during the toe to bars.

Here was the prescribed workout- 14 minute AMRAP: 60-calorie row 50 toes-to-bars 40 wall-ball shots, 20 / 14 lb. 30 cleans, 135 / 95 lb. 20 muscle-ups

By the end of the 14 minutes I had completed the 60 calorie row and 18 toe to bars. It was something… I think since I could not get any points in Week 2 that I no longer have a ranking. Oh well, I am still getting a workout.

The first real run of spring. On Friday, I took a personal day and used it for an opportunity to get out on the pavement. Oops! My shoes from last season probably should have remained in the closet. I felt every step going up into my knee. I have since ordered a new pair and probably will not try to do five miles for future inaugural runs. I sought out feedback on narrow stability runners but did not get much in response. Therefore, I opted to go with my Asics GT-2000 2A again this season. Hopefully those will arrive soon and I can start hitting the road. I also just purchased some new INOV-8 crosstrainers and I love them!