Sometimes, it is just about showing up.

I really needed to read this after the last few weeks. March has not been nearly as productive physically and mentally as January and February. Nonetheless, I have still been chipping away at my bricks and should hit 65 by the end of the month. I feel OK about where I am, but know that April is going to have to be a step up.

First, let me say that I can pinpoint exactly where I got tripped up this month. I'm responsible for my actions, yes, but sometimes bigger things come into play. For me, it was the time change. Most people do not thrive during the hours of 5AM-9AM; however, I do. I want light during those hours, not at 7PM when I've lost drive to workout or do any work. As soon as it was pitch dark again in the mornings, I found myself dragging. Despite two months of constant early morning cardio, that time switch threw me off.

Then, I got sloppy with my food choices. Not every day, but more than 20% of the time. A snack here, a chai latte there, and boom 5lbs back + less energy. I know the signs and should be able to stop, but in missing the gym (and those who make me feel more accountable), I faltered. It was not a total failure--just not what I expect or need to maintain my goals.

Next, my little brother came to visit from Wisconsin. It was awesome to have him here and I still got to the gym quite a bit as it was a "staycation" for me. But of course we dined out a lot and I gave myself permission because how often do I get to have week off? When he left, I planned to jump back into a regular routine, and then BAM!--I was pummeled with a virus. I was out four days straight from the gym and survived on soup, OJ, gingerale, popsicles, and crackers. These were not exactly nourishing items, but old habits die hard.

Finally, Friday morning, I woke up being able to breathe a bit and not feeling as lethargic. It was the day I would show up to Crossfit IronBorn. Unfortunately, it was 15.5 workout day. 15.5 consisted of thrusters and rowing--yuck! I did not chicken out--I made a decision to go and just lift lighter weights. It was a pathetic workout. I dropped 10-15lbs off what I should have been doing, but I made it through those doors. I often hear people say why bother showing up if you are not going to give it your all? I say that is garbage. Each day, each week, and each situation is different. I needed to just show up on Friday and give something. I knew it would not be my best (or even close), but I got out of bed, left the house, and surrounded myself with motivating people. And you know what? I showed up again today for my morning spinning class at Storms. After that, I texted someone in town to schedule a run for tomorrow morning...see the pattern? Show up--even if it isn't going to be the race or workout of a lifetime. It will make a difference.

~Laura

FFMARCHMILES & 14.2 Recap

If you have been an avid follower of I Tri Training, you might notice a bit of an update to the space. I’ve been working on my social media presence through Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest (I have not yet given in to the requests to rejoin Facebook ). Since it is my fourth year of blogging, I wanted to change it up and hopefully draw in some new followers. I’ve benefitted tremendously from inspirational tweets and photos on Instagram and hope to share that passion with my followers. So, if you are so inclined, please join me in some or all of those forums!

Recently, I was selected to be an I’m Fit Possible Ambassador, which encourages a social fitness community. I am super excited to be a member of this awesome space for dialogue and inspiration! The next addition to my blog will be some race PRs and hopefully a race calendar. I need to commit to some 2014 races ASAP, but I want to choose them carefully so that I can put full effort into a training schedule. Some of the races I am considering are the Big Lake Half Marathon, Cape Cod Half Marathon, Pumpkinman Sprint Triathlon, Smuttynose Half Marathon (to beat last year!), and some local 5Ks. How do you select your races for the year? If you have any fantastic New England recommendations, please share in the comments section.

Finally, here is my recap of the 14.2 Crossfit Open workout. After 14.1, I was thrilled with my standing and the fact that I had even earned some points in my first round of the competition. However, 14.2 quickly humbled me. Workout 14.2 consisted of 3 minute increments for as long as possible of 2 rounds overhead squats @ 65lbs and 10 chest to bars. Each 3 minutes you increased the reps by 2 and went as long as possible. When I read the workout the day before, I knew I was in trouble. I can’t do chest to bars. I don’t know a lot of women who can (but props off to those ladies!), so that was a discouraging element. My friend Erica suggested going for the overhead squats in round 1 to at least get 10 points. Not a bad idea—it gave me some type of goal. When I went to set up for the OHS and snatched the 65lbs up, I knew it was not going to happen. This was not a move I had worked on for the past 20 weeks. Had it been a back squat, bench press, deadlift, or possibly a military press, I might have had a shot. I had to scale before the workout even began which was deflating. Nonetheless, I made it through two rounds of the scaled version (35lbs and banded chest to bars). I made an attempt, but all in all, I was very disappointed with my performance. It was awesome to cheer on some of the other athletes at White Mountain Crossfit because they crushed the workout which helped the team overall. We are currently ranked 186th in the North East region.

To date, I’ve logged 16 miles for the #FFMARCHMILES Challenge, so I’ll need to step it up over the next week to hit that target of 100 miles running or walking by March 31st.

14.1 Recap

When I saw the announcement on Thursday for the 14.1 Crossfit Games workout, I was concerned. 30 double unders seemed doable; however, the 15 power snatches were intimidating. The snatch movement and I are not exactly on the best of terms. Nonetheless, I had registered and committed to the workouts for March.

Prior to the 9am competition workout, I spent some time foam rolling my quads and using the lacrosse ball on my shoulder. With my rotator being a bit off, I wanted to be sure everything was nice and loose. Once I arrived at the gym, I spent about 15 more minutes stretching, rolling, and warming up. The excitement and nerves radiated throughout the group. It was an opportunity to test our skills and catch up with gym buddies we might not see on a daily basis. I chatted with friends and tried to drink in as many demos as possible while warming up.

Due to my discomfort with the snatch movement, I opted to wait a few rounds to participate. It was a ton of fun cheering and watching the athletes in the first two rounds. As my round (3) approached, I became more and more nervous. I stared at that bar (55lbs) with a bit of fear, but knew I could not quit at this point.

Jon started the clock and as the countdown to 10 minutes ticked down, I thought to myself "I don't know what is going to happen, but I have to try." Once I started cranking out the first round of double unders, my confidence picked up a bit. But then, I headed over to the barbell and had thoughts of doubt. Much to my surprise, I completed the first power snatch with no issues! And then a second and a third! They were not easy, but I was actually completing them. After that, the remaining time became a blur. I had to listen for my counter to announce the reps as I moved into a state of complete concentration on movement.

In the end, I completed 3 full rounds of the movements with an additional 20 double unders. The total count for 14.1 was 155 reps! This was so much more than I ever thought I could do going into the workout. There was a fabulous group of ladies (Breanne, Corinne, and Erica) cheering me on, so thanks to them! I know I pushed myself because immediately following the workout, I had extreme abdominal distress, which luckily subsided with enough time for me to cheer on some of the other athletes in round four.

Therefore, I can say that my first crossfit games workout was challenging, inspiring, and memorable. These movements are not things I would have even considered possible 2 years ago, but here I am crushing my goals!