I got to play with the rings today. I remember the rings from the playground at school, they were always fun to swing away and laugh like the monkey bars, only mobile. I thought, hey, how bad could this workout possibly be? It has RINGS in it for pitys sake. I didn't have my usual pre-crossfit combat anxiety going on or anything before this workout. Next time they bring the rings out, however, I will probably cower away and pee down my leg. Okay, maybe not that bad, but I definitely dont remember the rings being instruments of exquisite torture. It started with "ring" push ups. The innocent looking rings dangled mere inches from the soft grass, nothing scary there. That is until you try to stabilize the rings and your arms and do some push ups. The first few attempts were ugly, but I got the painful hang of it. (ha ha, get it, I said "hang" of it!) Then I got to practice ring dips. Now, I have to tell you I hate dips. I suck really hardcore at regular dips anyway, my flabby bat-wings dont like to cooperate. The rings were so happy looking dangling there about to shoulder height, so I gave it a shot. I maybe got one half way sort of dip before flopping back to the ground. I practiced a few more times trying to stabilize it. My arms were shaking worse than when a new born giraffe wobbles trying to walk for the first time. All that practice and I didnt even attempt a "muscle up". I cant even explain what kind of athlete you must be to be able to do this exercise, seriously. You should look it up on youtube. Very impressive. Now the workout of the day (at my own foolish request of "no foot work") was 21-15-9 reps of ring push ups, sit ups, and ring dips. After the 21 ring push ups and literally falling on the grass face first a few times, the 21 sit ups seemed like a rest. The dips were a serious joke. I tried to dip away, but alas, I could only seem to dangle precariously with my arms straight out and trembling. The last round of nine had to be practically comedic when I was attempting the dips and was pretty much jumping and flailing in the air. I am beginning to think its not a good workout unless you look like a total fool at some point.

My arms are so weak feeling and odd now, its hard to type....and there was no way I could braid my locks. Crossfit is the invention of the devil. Of course it may be easier if I was more consistent and didnt binge eat for a few weeks because I felt sorry for myself. Sigh, now I must work harder to carry around the extra flab until it finally goes away.

Blargh on my human weakness!!!! Now I read on Cranky Fitness diet soda is the devil too!!!!

"Murph"

I did a full Murph. My time wasn't anything of a land speed record or even anything that exciting to publish on any kind of crossfitting workout website. But its good enough for me to be proud of and put on my own blog!!!

Murph consists of this:

Run one mile
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 air squats
Run one mile

My time was one hour 14 minutes. Not too bad on a gimpy foot. I have to tell you, at certain points during the workout I really wasnt sure if I was going to make it, let alone survive. I pushed on though, and I am so glad I did. I waited all night last night for the super sore pain to start ravaging my body and was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to walk this morning. I hurt, yes, but no worse than a regular work out. Then I thought, huh, maybe I didn't push myself hard enough. So I jumped into the way back time machine in my head back to the agonizing hour plus workout. No, I could not have pushed myself any harder than I did. What's really funny is the last mile after the air squats, I really couldnt feel my legs. It was the oddest most wobbly experience of my life. I think I know what its like to be a newborn colt now. Ha!

I am proud I made it through. Of course the real life Murph that this workout is named after used to do said workout with a tac-vest on in Iraq, but thats just one reason he's a hero with a workout named after him.

I have also decided since I have no idea when the next SWAT posting will be (probably a year! bah!) I need to find another closer shorter term goal to reach for. I dont do well without some form of motivation or deadline. Putting on my thinking cap and trying to figure that one out.

More complaining

I ran a mile yesterday. Thats as far as I could run without searing stupid foot pain. I want it to feel better, and even if it hurts, I really want to be able to run on it anyway. If the doctor would just tell me I can run on it even if it hurts and it wont make it any worse, I totally would. Of course just before I had my neck surgery, the doc had told me I couldnt make the disc damage any worse so I could continue doing whatever I wanted to do....kind of not true considering I needed surgery eventually.

I really need to stop complaining, but then what would I write about? The fact that my hair needs to be colored again or my birthday is coming up? Nah, thats not nearly as interesting or fun to write about. Its much better for me to complain about the fact that everything from the waist down seems to jiggle a little and I am squeezing into my pants.

Pushing onward!! Going to attempt a "murph" workout tonite... well maybe a baby murph because it might be a little much for me to have as my 2nd crossfit back from injury.... but we will see I'm kind of stubborn.

The return of the workout

I am happy to report I am no longer forced to wear the walking cast any longer. I was "released" by the doctor on Tuesday. Of course, he said he wanted me to wear a horrible hard soled shoe thing that is completely grotesque. When he asked if I would wear it, I said no way. He then commended my honesty and told me to take it easy for two weeks or so and only wear work boots or sneakers. Of course, doctor, whatever you say! (Realistically all I heard was no more boot, do what you want!) I still havent taken the foot out for a good run, I am a little bit nervous about it. I did some warm up laps around the gym Thursday before my awful "Cindy" crossfit workout and a few times it felt kind of bad on the foot, so I am actually *for once* taking the doctors advice and starting slow. I have to go back next month for a final x-ray and check up to make sure everything is still healing and good, but for now I am happy to wear shoes instead of shoe.

The "Cindy" workout, by the way, although horrible and painful was gratifying. Of course, still today I feel the pain in my quads and lats. Aaah, its so good to be working out again. I was beginning to get used to the whole not having soreness....it was freaking me out!

I dont know when the next time a SWAT posting will be, I have heard it will be over a year. At least that gives me time to train. I want to be totally buffed out and strong like the crossfit girls I see on the crossfit.com website, so I better start working hard now. Slow painful progression to massive awesomeness, here I come!

Working out

Oh wow, I cant wait to get released to do lower body/cardio/running again. My arms are so very sore, my lats are rebelling, and my shoulders are huge whiners! When all you can work on is your upper body, though, you sure get creative. The first two days I had no vision, boring old one legged push ups and pull ups with some super fun scissor kicks thrown in. Then I got wise and went to my crossfit friend and demanded a crossfit cripple workout. No problem he says! My only condition was no pull ups or push ups. (Again, with the no problem!!!) So I did push presses with weights and dips...21-15-9....no rest. Well, I say no rest, but in all actuality, there was probably some gasping and resting going on in between sets. The key is that you arent supposed to rest. I did my best. He said, oh, you got done way too fast next time higher weight!

I have visions of giant muscles in my upper body making me look like Magda the Eastern European weightlifting champion with the questionable estrogen and mustache....