Fran

In January 2009... time - 7:03 lifting 22 lbs and doing ring rows

In October 2009 ... time - 6:11 lifting 33 lbs and doing Green band assisted pullups

Sweet Progress.

J - they are expecting you to smash your time when you are here in Dec. A reminder, you did it in 7 min. even.

For those readers who are thinking that I am faster than my son at this - his Fran was what CrossFitters call prescribed (Rx) which is thrusters at 95lbs and regular pull ups...21-15-9 for time! VERY hard WOD.

More trip pix...one thing I found interesting about London was the variety of very modern buildings alongside the very old. In the states, we don't have stuff that is very old so the contrast between old and new is not as remarkable or distinct.

Number two

Back to work - bleech

many more emails than I thought possible

same drama, same issues, different day

all the more reason to have great vacations!

And, while on vacation, it is important that you eat what you want and most mornings, we ate at a place called Pret a Manger. We did this last year as well. Brekkie consisted of warm ham and cheese croissants and yogurt (of the creamiest variety) parfaits. For me, a latte, for R - oj and black coffee (not shown). Eaten outside on the sidewalk - all this helped start our days off right.

Yesterday at CrossFit, my warmup was: run 400 m (did it again); 2 rounds of regular CFV warmup; 50 box jumps (I jumped a smaller box). then the WOD was

7 rounds for time
25 SDHP @ 45 lbs m/22 lbs w
10 ring dips

I did band assisted ring dips and I did all of this in 9:20 which was the second fastest on the white board!!!!

running and a pix or two

This morning I rode my bike to the track determined to run... While I have not yet started my October challenge, it seemed like a good thing to do. I ran 4 - 400 m with 4 - 400m walks in between. The significant thing is that I actually ran the entire 400 m of the running ones - no walking, no stopping - just running (or my version of running anyway). I did time them and they were all below 2.5 min...used my phone as I did not bring my stopwatch. So that was good - the ride back was also good as it is all downhill...such a treat after a workout.

Thought I would start slipping in a pix or two from our trip....this first one is right after we got there. We are walking in J's neighborhood which is in the borough of Kensington. Weather was wonderful the whole trip - only one rainy day in London and one the day we were flying out of Italy.















This is at the Tate Modern Museum. Pictures were strictly forbidden but I could not resist. One of the guards followed me out of this room and gave me a verbal beat down for violating his orders. I told him I was sorry, but I wasn't - so, not only did I disobey, I lied as well.


I don't know who I am waving at here - maybe the guard... I wore this hoodie almost the entire time - got it from Target and, this trip, I did not see anyone else wearing it!!! We did much better packing this time than last, although still some room for improvement. Less is definitely more and v neck white t-shirts are essential.

Saturday n finally over jet lag

I figured since we were at home, we ought to be able to settle into a regular waking/sleeping routine fairly easily....WRONG. It took until this am for me to sleep until 5:30am - which may seem early to most but it is my usual wake up time. Can't tell you how happy that made me!! I did go CF last night - warmup was 5 min jumprope, 1 round of regular warmup and then 3-3-3-3-3 of snatch. Workout was 7 rounds of 10 each - wallballs, squats, push ups. I did it in 12 minutes which was not setting the world on fire, but it was ok and it was done!

This am - CF workout, after a significant amount of stretching, was 3 rounds of 12 each - burpees, pull ups, sit ups, box jumps. I did it in 10:54 and was not the last one. The first 12 burpees were ok and actually in pretty good form...after that, crap both in form and in the quality of fun doing them. My burpees focus in October will help.

Delivered a quilt to Jay this trip - one that I had been wanted to make for a while...

The back is fleece...I think he liked it!

Back Home

and really feeling the jet lag. For the last two days, I am awake at 2:30-3am!!! SUCKS! And this am, R was up as well. Good thing there is the weekend to get this right!! Might go to CrossFit this am to wear myself out a bit - who knows, might help, couldn't hurt.

Some pix from CF Central London:

It was so much fun to work out with Jay - he is one of the trainers at CrossFit Central London. He puts together the weekly schedule and trains the 6:30-7am class. He is terrific at it!!! He even got R to go - once, but hey, he went!

Also, he has really been stepping up his fitness routine... See his website: http://jaydwil.com/ . He is doing a 30 day Paleo challenge (for those who don't know, that is a way of eating that involves no carbs, no sugar, no salt - all protein, veg and fruits); a 100 day burpee challenge - which means day 1, do 1 burpee; day 2, do 2; etc. As you can see from his blog, he is up to day 50 and he is doing them in better times each time with his latest at 3:48 min!!!

So, he has inspired me (as he usually does - I do CF because of him). I am down for a challenge for the balance of the year - done in 30 day increments. The first 30 days starting 10/1 is this:

1. Paleo for 30 days - with a weekly cheat meal if necessary
2. Each day, as part of my warmup or, if I do not get to CR, I do it anyway, the following: 20 burpees - working up to 30/day; DU working up to 30 per day - can't do one now); when I am at the gym - 30 pull ups working to do at least one unassisted; run 400 m working up to 800m without stopping (this is hard for me).
3. CrossFit at least 4 times per week - push myself to exceed past performance.

A goal is to lose 20 lbs and the reward is to go to SF Levi store when J and T are here in December to get custom fitted jeans.

Here is what burpees look like (the muscle ups at the end are a bit over the top - not that I am jealous or anything):

Coming home today....

Great trip...when pix are sorted out, will post some.

Worked out with J...will try using this site to log what I do.
http://beyondthewhiteboard.com/

finding my roots

This was spotted on the way to the Globe Theater in SE London.

We were running late so we did not knock on any doors.

Jelly Belly

Upon request from the most amazing Loli, we visited the Jelly Belly Factory yesterday. Sweet fun.

In my lifetime....

We went from this....

and this....

to this....

and from this....

to this....

now, before any or all of you either out loud or in your head give scoff because this is THE least expensive (above the shuffle) and has THE least memory (8GB) IPOD there is...let me tell you that my first Nano, which I loved for a good long time, had 2GB so 8GB is HUGE to me and, so far, seems to hold everything I have piped into it.

I think it is very interesting that the thing that holds it all is so small compared to the thing that just transports the tunes.

Also - to my eldest and lovely (mind you, 2nd daughter, I did NOT say loveliest) daughter - notice I did get big earphones, ones that will not allow one's music to be heard and commented upon by one's seatmate. That experience spooked me away from using my nano anywhere close to another human being. Hence, the purchase of these noise retaining and most excellent noise cancelling jumbo earphones.

i be jammin

first day of school

Nothing like the first day of school - especially first grade and especially for grands!