Vacation time...

Today will probably be my last post during the challenge as we are off tomorrow for a cruise vacation for a week - makes the challenge a little more..well..challenging for sure. I'm sure we will not be strict on vacation, but I'm okay with that - this really is a lifestyle and sometimes you've just got to have dessert! We will stick with it most of the time I'm sure as I really can't eat a lot of non-paleo food without feeling really unwell and who wants to feel that way on vacation?

Breakfast:

boiled eggs
paleo bread with almond butter
handful veggies

Lunch:

stirfry with chicken breast and veggies

Snack:

bison pepperoni
cauliflower

Dinner:

salad with turkey breast
brussels sprouts

CrossFit:

Grace
30 clean & jerk 95/135

Rx'd. 5:18. Not a pr day today (4:57), but darned happy with this performance! After yesterday & 115 lb. c&j's earlier in the week, my shoulder, neck & elbow are in bad shape. Wasn't sure I had it in me to do rx'd today, but went for it. Time not bad considering - but just didn't feel the rhythm, never got into the groove of it.

Oops...

Haven't posted for a couple of days. Eating-wise - all the usual stuff! :) Highlight was Tuesday night - I made a bison stew and dijon biscuits with some of our stew meat from Meteor Lakes. It was delicious. We are leaving for a cruise Saturday, so my mind has been elsewhere, but will try to remember to post today. Yesterday I actually wasn't hungry all day long for about the first time in 2 weeks. Yay!

Breakfast:

boiled eggs
paleo bread with almond butter
handful veggies

Lunch:

turkey breast
salad

Snack:

bison pepperoni
nuts

Dinner:

bison patties
fried mushrooms & onions
roasted rutabaga & butternut squash

CrossFit:

weighted pullups 5x5 2 mins.

10-1
ring dips
pushups

Pullups:

5x5, 7.5x5, 10x5, 12.5x4, 12.5x3

WOD:

Did 4 ring dips in the 6's. First 10 ring dips u/a, 3/9 in second round then that was it - went to smallest beige band for rest - black band might have better - would have gotten a few more in. Have done many more ring dips before, but tough WOD after arm fatigue from weighted pullups.

That was freakin' heavy...

My arms are already sore from today's WOD - shoulders, neck, collarbone all feel like they're being ripped out of my body - tomorrow should be great! Can't wait!

Lunch:

turkey breast & salad

Snack:

bison pepperoni
raw veggies

Dinner:

bison sausage
salad

CrossFit:

10 rounds:

3 push jerk 115/155
6 K2E
9 box jumps

20:23
Did 2 rounds at 105, then when more warmed up decided to go up to 115 & completed it at this. Cleans no problem today. Did step ups.

Recovery

I have been doing a lot of reading about recovery, which in all honesty, I'm not a big fan of. :) I tend to push myself and have been known to do 6 on/1 off in CrossFit. Lately, I've been trying to take more recovery time and have been trying to do 3 on/1 off, but usually do 4 or 5 on/1 off. I sometimes find, however, that I get to a point where I just feel extremely tired & sore and like I just want to quit CrossFit (well, not really, but I have the fleeting thought). I'm starting to feel that way now. My arms are so sore from yesterday's WOD that I actually feel kind of sick. There wasn't anything particularly awful about yesterday, so I think it's my body's way of telling me that it needs more rest (or less wine! :)). Mark's Daily Apple has a lot of good articles about the importance of rest & recovery and how it is such an important part of fitness, especially as we get older - my 40's body just takes longer to recover than my 20's body would have and I just have to accept that! :) We are going on holidays next week, so I will probably be away from the weights during that time & have more rest days & focus on bodyweight stuff. I think it will be a needed break.

Breakfast:

turkey breast
salad

Lunch:

same

Snack:

bison pepperoni
Asian pear

Dinner:

spinach salad with bacon, egg, chicken breast

CrossFit:

Took an extra rest day. Did an interval hill/running program on the treadmill. Can't remember the last time I did this! Found it fatiguing on low back/hips, but it didn't cause any back pain which is good! I think I'll incorporate this sometimes as a kind of active recovery when I just want a break from CF.

The whole shebang...

Today we went out for our anniversary (20th!) and Valentine's day and strict paleo was not in the cards. I didn't order a plate of pasta or anything, but we went to the River House Grill in St. Albert which was absolutely wonderful & I wanted to try everything, so had wine, some potato and dessert. Most of the meal was paleo (it certainly wouldn't have been difficult to be entirely paleo there) & every bite of it was deeeelicious!

Lunch:

salad with turkey breast

Snack:

bison pepperoni
mixed vegetables
nuts

Dinner:

wine
champagne
elk sausage salad
arctic char, vegetables, potato
creme brulee

CrossFit:

Ladders:

Start with 2 reps & every minute increase by 2 reps to a maximum of 10 minutes per exercise:

wallballs 16/20
SDHP 55/75
burpees

Order was SDHP, wallballs, burpees. Got 10, 7, 5.

Friday

Breakfast:

bison bacon (first time trying this - yummy!)
egg
paleo bread w/almond butter

Lunch:

stirfry with chicken breast & mixed veggies

Snack:

garlic sausage
almonds
mixed veggies

Dinner:

bison burger on portobello mushroom 'buns'
guacamole
rutabaga fries

CrossFit:

Rest day - definitely need it. I am so tired. Slept a bit better last night, but still not great & need to catch up.

Need Sleep..

I slept horribly last night & am really tired today. I think 20 years of bad sleep is taking its toll - I really feel awful now when I don't sleep well. Being tired also makes me hungry & crave comfort foods, so it just compounds an already bad situation. To top it off, today should have been a rest day, but I came because Chad said the WOD was one of my favorites. I made sure it wasn't rowing sprints which is actually the worst workout in the world and makes me sick. Nope, he said, but make sure you come because you like it. So I did...and...it was row 2k. Grrrr.....still not as bad as the 4x500 though.

Breakfast:

turkey breast salad

Lunch:

same!

Snack:

boiled egg
pear

Dinner:

salmon
broccoli & cauliflower soup

CrossFit:

Row 2k

8:36.5

Dairy

Although I haven't been eating dairy on the challenge, it is something that I think I will add back when done. I don't eat huge amounts of it, but the primal way of eating (which I prefer - very similar to paleo, but some slight differences) does allow for some dairy - particularly full fat items such as butter and cheese. Although I don't eat a lot of these things, I do enjoy some cheese in a salad if we're eating out. Dairy doesn't seem to bother me - no bloating, gas, cravings, etc., so I don't think I have a problem with it.

Breakfast:

salad with vinaigrette
turkey breast

Lunch:

same thing!

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
cauliflower
carrots

Dinner:

shrimp & avocado omelette
broccoli & cauliflower soup

CrossFit:

7x1 push press

1-10-1
kettlebell swings 55/35
situps

Push press: maxed at 125. Failed at 130 (gave up mentally)

WOD: 7:24

Feeling Energetic & Good Today!

I think eating a bit more (esp. carbs) over the weekend helped a bit. Today I feel great & back to normal. Felt really good going into CrossFit & managed to do a couple of things I've never done before!

Breakfast:

turkey breast
salad with vinaigrette

Lunch:

turkey breast
salad with vinaigrette

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
pear

Dinner:

stirfry with chicken, beef, shrimp, veggies

CrossFit:

Hang squat clean 6x2 - technique focus, keep it light enough to feel getting under the bar

5 rounds:
5 thrusters 135/95
3 muscle ups
15 minute time cap

HSC - 110. Happy with this as anything from the hang position is a big goat of mine & I've never done anything this heavy from that position.

WOD: 95 lb. thrusters - unbroken. Subbed 6 jumping mu's for 3 mu's. Bottom of rings at shoulder height. Haven't been able to do these before (always kind of lost control when jumping up & then couldn't do the dip), so happy about this.

Today was a bit better..

Felt better today - feel like I'm getting back to normal! Yay!

Breakfast:

turkey breast
salad
vinaigrette

Lunch:

stirfry with chicken, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, water chestnuts

Snack:

tuna in olive oil
pear

Dinner:

bison smokies
sauerkraut
broccoli & cauliflower soup

Snack:

carrots
nuts

CrossFit:

Power Snatch 7x1 2 mins

5 rounds:
10 ring pushups
lunge across
15 box jumps
lunge back

Did hang power snatches for practice (worked on not pulling too early). Only did up to 75 with this. Practiced full progression - shrug, pull, muscle snatch, snatch with 55, 60, 65.

WOD:

11:32 (but didn't lunge back at the very end!). Ring pushups rx'd, step ups.

I Don't Know What is Wrong With Me...

but I have been starving lately - not just hungry, but really feeling unwell. I also may be coming down with a cold or something (missed CF today, just too headachy & feeling blech), but sometimes eating issues make me feel this way. I just can't seem to get full, or my stomach will feel full volume-wise, but I still have that shaky, low blood sugar, give me food NOW feeling. I ate a big lunch & bought some baby carrots which I've eaten some of (higher sugar content than most vegetables) and I'm maybe feeling a little better. I'm really tempted to just eat something non-paleo (don't know what - really craving chocolate or something like fries or buttered popcorn) just to try to feel better. I probably won't give in, but hope I start feeling better soon.

Breakfast:

turkey breast
cabbage salad with vinaigrette
cauliflower

Lunch:

baby carrots
turkey breast
cabbage salad with vinaigrette

Snack:

baby carrots
bison pepperoni
nuts

Dinner:

pot roast
mashed cauliflower
roasted brussels sprouts

CrossFit:

Rest day - shouldn't have been, but not feeling well

ICC Day...

Well, today is the Inter-City Challenge. These events always make me nervous - I feel sick already! :) The whole competition thing isn't really my deal. I'm never sure whether to actually go in them or not - we always do & it ends up being fun, but I hate the lead up to it!

Done the ICC! - Ugh, pullups is all I can say. I don't think kipping pullups will ever be easy for me. I'm just glad I finished this one, even if I did go over the time cap! Good turnout at the challenge & Lisa D. took the win for the girls! Aaron C. took third in the men's, and overall, CFE did a great job!

I ate breakfast at around 10, but was too hungry by then, so about a half hour after the challenge, I was starving! Just couldn't get full, so kind of nibbled/snacked all afternoon. I went out for dinner with my daughter and ate half my meal (so about 3 oz. steak & a few veggies) as I finally felt okay. I'm actually pretty happy about this as I tend to be a 'plate cleaner' and I'm trying to pay more attention to my hunger signals. That WOD really did me in though - kind of left me feeling sick all day. I'm not sure why some days that happens - maybe yesterday that push to go, go, go made me push a little harder/faster than I would have otherwise.

Breakfast:

turkey breast
cabbage salad
vinaigrette

Lunch/Snacks

trail mix
nuts
bison/turkey pepperoni
pear
cauliflower
small piece zucchini loaf

Dinner

steak
mixed vegetables - broccoli, carrots, zucchini

CrossFit:

Inter-city challenge:

5 rounds for time:
5 ground-to-overhead 95/135
10 pull ups
15 box jumps (step ups allowed)

Rx'd 16:00. Pullups sucked as usual. 5 per round is great, anything more (especially when feeling nervous) - not so great. Did all clean & jerks unbroken. Step ups.

Hungry..

Even though today was a rest day, I was starving all day! Ended up having an extra snack - it's supposed to be about listening to your body, but I still find that hard - too many years of dieting mentality!

We picked up a large order of bison today, so I am excited to try some of the products!

Breakfast:

pickerel
salad w/vinaigrette

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
almonds

Lunch:

stirfry with chicken and mixed vegetables

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
almonds

Dinner:

spinach salad with chicken breast, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, egg, bacon, vinaigrette

CrossFit:

Rest day

A Good Couple of Weeks...

The last while in CrossFit had generally been going pretty well. I'm not sure if paleo is helping, but it certainly can't be hurting! I've had a few pr's & other accomplishments. I think some of the programming changes have had a beneficial effect as well. I even feel less sore than usual!

Breakfast:

salmon
coleslaw mix with vinaigrette

Lunch:

beef, chicken, shrimp & vegetable stirfry

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
almonds
pear

Dinner:

lettuce wraps with ground beef, cabbage, bean sprouts, mushrooms & coconut almond curry sauce
paleo chocolate macaroons

CrossFit:

push press
5x3 11x2 3 mins

AMRAP 15 mins.

5 pullups
10 medball squats 20/16
15 pushups

Push press - 120
WOD - rx'd 6 rounds + 11 reps.

Breakfast:

salmon
cabbage salad with vinaigrette

Lunch:

Hap's:
chef's salad with lettuce, assorted veggies, turkey, egg, ham, oil & vinegar

Snack:

tuna
almonds

Dinner:

pickerel
tomato & avocado salsa
roasted brussels sprouts, cauliflower & broccoli

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
cauliflower

CrossFit:

Diane
21-15-9
Deadlift 155/225
HSPU

155 DL. Subbed 65 lb. OHP for HSPU. Time 7:19.

Kids & Paleo

Interestingly, I was thinking about making a post on this topic yesterday and it was the topic du jour on Mark's Daily Apple! Beth's birthday party, complete with cake, popcorn, chips and make-your-own tacos for dinner made me think about the reality of having kids on a completely paleo diet. Normally, we don't have that food in our home. The meals I cook are paleo. Even the school lunches I pack have really changed - I can't remember the last time I sent a sandwich for example. But I haven't gone totally paleo with my daughter. The nut ban in schools makes it difficult for one thing - most paleo baking, etc. is off limits. And if kids do anything at all in the outside world (i.e., aren't locked in your basement! :)), they are going to eat non-paleo food. Probably plenty of it when they get the chance. I'm okay with doing the best I can and hoping that as an adult, she will choose to eat this way.

I also have a teenager - again, if she is home and eating with us, she gets the paleo meal. Often, however, she is working or out with friends eating typical teenager fare and drinking what amounts to cups of liquid sugar from her favorite coffee place. It's difficult to accept that I have no control over this, but I hope that at some point, the example will set in.

Breakfast:

boiled eggs
paleo bread with almond butter
Asian pear

Lunch:

Mongolia Express:
stirfry with chicken & vegetables

Snack:

turkey pepperoni
almonds

Dinner:

beef chili with cauliflower fried rice

Snack:

nuts
turkey pepperoni
cauliflower

CrossFit:

power snatch 5x3 11x1 2 mins

3 rounds for time:

250 m row
30 situps
15 db push presses 45/30

Snatch - worked up to 85. Not good technique, so stayed here. WOD - 9:32 rx'd.

Breakfast:

omelette with guacamole, mushrooms & pancetta

Lunch:

Mongolia Express:
stirfry with chicken and vegetables

Snack:

turkey breast
nuts
cauliflower

Dinner:

minute steak (did not like, so switched to..)
turkey breast
broccoli & cauliflower soup

CrossFit:

Rest day