"Barbara"

Early afternoon

WU: Shoulder dislocates, some light stretching

Workout: Barbara

5 rounds for time:

20 Pullups

30 Pushups

40 Situps

50 Squats

Rest precisely 3:00 between rounds

4:48, 4:35, 4:30, 4:44, 4:27

Late Afternoon

Crossfit Endurance WOD

WU: 1000m on the C2 Rower, stretch hamstrings, glutes, lower back, quads

Workout:

4:00 on, 3:00 off

2:00 on, 0:30 off

1:00 on, 3:00 off

2:00 on, 0:30 off

4:00 on, DONE

Cover maximum distance possible: 1134m (1:45.8), 581m (1:43.2), 299m (1:40.3), 561m (1:46.9), 1088m (1:50.1)

The numbers in parentheses are the splits per 500 meters. This is the unit of measurement in rowing and is the equivalent of min/mile in running and mph during cycling.

Workout comments: The pullups were not actually that bad, although I performed kipping pullups and each set was broken somewhere in there, I was able to get about 12-15 on each round before failure. I performed the first three rounds of pullups in under a minute, with one of them around 50 seconds. The last two rounds came in at approximately 1:24 and this time drain accounted for the slow time on Round 4. I wasn't expecting such a drastic decrease in time over the 5 rounds. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect on the first try.

This was the first time I have tried an organized rowing workout in almost 5 years. It has been a combination of my lack of access to an indoor rower and my utter loathing for the machine. The indoor rower (ergometer/erg) is probably the best fitness apparatus for training the cardiovascular system. It works mostly all major muscle groups. The downside: it's about as boring as watching paint dry, because that is literally what you are doing. It's tough to set up a TV in front of the erg, and very rare that one is situated in a gym where you can get a good view of what is going on. Most often the ergs are the black sheep of the fitness center and pushed off into the corner, facing the wall. So you are quite literally watching the paint dry. Unlike a treadmill, where you have the minor assistance of the belt continuously moving, the erg offers no such crutch. If you ease up on the effort, you will know it instantly as the screen showing your splits and distance is only inches away from your face. On the water, coaches and trainers usually had a tough time gauging how much effort each rower was contributing to the boat, unless they had a skillful eye (there are ways of knowing). But as the saying goes...there is no hiding on the erg.

General comments: I have been reading several articles about ancillary portions of CrossFit, namely nutrition, rest, and flexibility. I guess I've been spending too much time worrying about trying to she a few pounds that I've been overlooking one of the basic building blocks of a solid nutrition plan: protein. I'm getting nowhere near enough of it. I've been so concerned with increasing my intake of fruits and vegetables, while decreasing my overal carb intake, that I've totally neglected taking in enough protein. I always have a salad with some chicken or other poultry following my lunch workout, which can't contain the protein I need following heavy lifts or taxing metcons. Consequently, I'm guessing this is why I've been feeling so wiped each morning, even after getting 8+ hours of sleep. There is just absolutely no way my body can repair itself with the foods I'm putting into it. Regardless of how hard I try to cut out junk foods and replace with more fruits and vegetables, I'll have to make an honest effort to include more protein, even if this means more supplementary shakes immediately following a workout.

Dinner last night: Bacon-wrapped halibut with seared cherry tomato sauce and smashed peas