CrossFit - Part Trois

As I am sure many of you have read my numerous posts on FB, I have officially returned to CrossFit for the, count it, 3rd time.  I'm currently a member of CrossFity City Line located in Newton, MA.  Before joining, I was a part of the CrossFit Southie and Vagabond CrossFit families.  Due to work responsibilities I couldn't continue at these two facilities.  My inability to make it to these facilities does not, by any means, mean that they were sub par facilities - in fact they were quite the opposite!  These facilities showed me how great CF can really be and were a big reason I chose to again find another CF facility.

Now you're probably thinking, she's nuts - CrossFit is crazy! I can't image myself doing that!  I was in your shoes once, but doing one on-ramp WOD changed my entire outlook on CF.  I joined CF when I was at the DOR.  Serena had just left, I was looking to transition to a new job - but not having much luck, and just finding I needed an all-around change.  My initial thought was to get back into rowing.  After looking into boat houses on the Charles, their rates, and my non-existent salary - I determined it wasn't feasible.  It was also a HUGE time commitment - a very early morning time commitment.  I just couldn't see getting out on the river at 5, which meant waking up at 4 (at the latest), and then trying to hustle to work for 8 - barely showered and starving.  I started looking on the internet at this point for some cross training "thing", something that was more than just running, something that would reawaken that competitive drive I had when   I rowed.  Somehow I stumbled across the CF site and started reading.  and what I was reading was starting to sound freaking great. Group training.  Rowing. Olympic lifting.  Kettle bell training.  Running. Lifting.  So, I found the one nearest me and signed up.

The first workout was a challenge for me.  I wasn't in the great of shape - hadn't run for a bit.  I was fully ensconced into the 18 holes and a few beers routine.  But I did it.  then i did another and another.  Soon, I was in the full scale class WOD and working at L1/L2 and sometimes RX level.  It was a great family to work with.  But my body was soon protesting. 5x a week was a lot of a girl who also needed to work full time.  I cut back to 3x a week but then I got a new job - at PwC.  I'm not going into details, but I didn't have much time to see my husband while I worked here - let alone get in a WOD.  in Brockton.  So, like any normal person, I quit.

Fast forward 2 years and I've made the decision to race a Rugged Maniac 5k thanks to my fellow CF pal, Kat.  We run it - I get my ass handed to me.  We generally talk about running or being able to train for a Tough Mudder.  At this point in my life, I needed to shake things up again.  I really wasn't doing anything other than working.  and eating. oh right, and drinking - cause that's what you do when you leave work at midnight 4 days a week.  So I said screw it, I'm singing up - and I did.  Tough Mudder New England was my first OCR and it was freaking amazing.  But after I had signed up, bruises still fresh on my legs from the Rugged Maniac, I started to panic.  How in the hell was I supposed to get ready for a 13 mile OCR at Mt. Snow.  The only thought I had was  - CrossFit.  If I can just get to WODs a couple of times a week, I can feasibly cross the finish line in an upright position.  So I went back.

I found Chris, Amy, Chuck, and Joe at CrossFit Southie to be amazing coaches.  They were completely 100% supportive of my race objective and even thought I'd enjoy some of it!  So I started training and it was working.  I set a new PR for my clean and jerk at 90lbs.  I could dead lift 10lbs shy of my body weight.  I even got a few over head squats in.  That's when the bottom dropped out....again.  Busy season hit with a vengeance at work.  I was working 70+ hours a week - barely had time to eat - barely saw my husband - barely slept - barely did anything.  I missed my nieces 1st birthday, missed Easter, almost missed my sister in laws graduation from the Coastie Academy.  What. the. eff.  With the TM just 2 weeks away I was a wreck.  I knew I had to try to do something or this was going to being a complete disaster.

I backed out of CF Southie and just started running stairs in my office building.  2x 5-4-3-2-1 of 4 flights intervals.  Cause that's all I could fit in between ordering dinner and it coming and me eating at my desk. Somehow, the TM came around and I made it.  It was freaking difficult at points and I wanted to quit - but I didn't and it was awesomely, incredibly, freaking fabulously great to cross that finish line and get my orange headband.

I started making changes at this point.  I stopped working on the weekends.  I worked every other Friday from home during the summer.  Most importantly, I started looking for a new job.  The gods were on my side because I was able to get out.

I'm at a firm now where they believe in family time, personal time, and work life balance- it's incredibly refreshing.  It's tax season and I don't work passed 6 - or at least I haven't yet.  I work on Saturdays, but they firm buys breakfast and lunch.  Oh and there's weekly free chair massages! Yea, life is good again.  So I thought hmmmm what does my race schedule look like for this year?  Right -

TM Boston in June
Zombie Run in July
TM New England in August
Rugged Maniac in Sept
and possibly a 1/2 marathon and a birthday weekend Warrior Dash.

So yea, need to do more than just run.  I knew CF was it.  Low and behold CF City Line is just a short 1.2 miles from my new office....and they offer a 2x a week membership.  Done. Deal.

So that's where I'm at.  Jenna, Mat, Tiffany and Chris are freaking amazing and they've really taken the time to talk to me and get to know what I want to do with my time there.  I'm working on my squat technique.  Working on getting my snatch technique in order.  Working up to kipping and finally, somehow getting/improving my upper body strength.  So here's to 2013 - may you be freaking fabulous!

Do they know?

It occurred to me today that most people don't know I went on a geek/nerd cruise. I mean, they know I went on a cruise-I told them of the ports of call, the food, the weather-but not what KIND of cruise I went on. It begs the question then, why don't I just tell them I went on JCCC3?

I can tell you that it's not that I'm ashamed that I was a badge carrying sea monkey on JCCC3 but mainly because I'm over explaining certain things about my life. There are inevitable questions that are asked and I think I'm done answering them. Does that mean I'm going to hide who I am? Certainly not. I will continue to wear my TARDIS socks, wax poetically re:West Wing, and  obsess over Zoe  Keating's tights.  I'll also continue to decorate my office in subtle geek fashion - TARDIS wall clock and Gallifreyan art included.

If you'd like the full list or review of JCCC3, however, keep reading.

JCCC3 was held this year on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas.  The ship was frackin' ginormous and so very cool.

Our ports of call were Coco Key in the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.  The best part, however, was the schedule of performers for the week.  We had concerts scheduled for Jonathan Coulton, Paul and Storm, The Doubleclicks, John Roderick, Zoe Keating, Joseph Scrimshaw, Mike Phirman, John Hodgman, Wil Wheaton, and the Riff Tracks.  With all this entertainment, I'm lucky I got the amount of sleep I did - which was very little.

The highlights of the trip for me had to be St. Maarten and Zoe Keating's concert.  St. Maarten was beautiful and my friends and I got to witness the awesomeness that is Maho Beach.  For those of you that don't know about this beach, it's the place where the planes fly ridiculously low in order to be able to land on the two foot runway that is Princess Juliana Airport.  As you can see from the picture below, we got to witness some great landings.  Also, the beach itself was pretty damn amazing.

Now, let's talk Zoe Keating's amazeballs concert.  Zoe is a new addition to the JCCC3 performance crew and I have to be honest, I was a bit skeptical about a cello only act.  From the first note, however, I knew I was watching and listening to something I've never experienced or heard before.  Zoe uses her computer and a foot pad to create a layered cello effect, which basically makes it sound like there are 5 other cellos on stage, when in reality there is only Zoe.  It is amazing to watch her play as she is so focused on the music and the precise movements of her bow.  Then somehow, she manages to not only play, but control the recording with her right foot - as if she didn't have enough going on.  I've never sprinted up the stairs at the end of a show in order to buy an artists CDs before - but I did so after this concert.  My ultimate goal was to thank her for such an amazing experience, in person, then beg her to autograph my CDs.  I unfortunately couldn't bring myself to interrupt her, especially when she was spending time with her husband and her adorable little son.  Maybe I'll just have to travel to the West Coast and catch another of her shows.  You should check out her website here: Zoe Keating

Let it not be thought that because I failed to mention performances by the other artists on the cruise that their sets and shows were somehow not up to JCCC standards.  They very much were and I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them, save for the Ayn Rand bit that Hodgman did.  It is amazing how many talented artists there are out there and yet, because they're not signed by some major recording label, go virtually unnoticed.  I implore you therefore, seek out the music and the comedy I've listed above.  I can assure you, you will not be disappointed.

JCCC3 was also a time to catch up with friends we had made on JCCC2.  We had a fabulous first day sitting on deck enjoying some cold fruity beverages and catching up.  Spending time with friends was a great way to enjoy this cruise. Sommer's great picture below, shows how awesome it was!

 Hmmm...what else to include? Not quite sure. So, with that, I will leave it here and pick up another topic another day.