So, hey, yeah nothing much happened since March...moving on...
Ok, I won't ignore the elephant in the blogosphere, I haven't written in a long time. No race updates, no legislative updates nothing. Shit happens, you get busy, and I forget to write. But I am starting anew and will hopefully keep things more up to date for the three people who may read this periodically.
In general here are some updates:
Work - as of the middle of May I've been without a job. Which is good/bad. I'm collecting unemployment so that is allowing me to look for a job I really want as opposed to a job to just keep tofu on the table. I've had some interviews, but no job offers yet. I'm holding out that after the election people will remember they want to hire people beyond campaign canvassers.
Ultimate - Molly Brown is amazing. (Here's our website: Molly Brown ) We went to Nationals and got 5th. USA ultimate is doing a new format next year so by placing in the top 8 we are now in the Pro Flight (the top flight). You may be asking yourself "doesn't being a Pro fix the whole unemployed piece?" Great question, and yes it would if being Pro actually meant we got paid. But we don't. It just means we get to go to the Pro tournaments and play against the other top 8 teams. According to USA ultimate it is supposed to build a stronger tie between the community in the teams. Which may in turn mean we'll have fans, so we can charge money for people to watch us, and maybe get paid? I think the paying part will happen long after my knees give out.
Running - Running? What's running? No joke, during ultimate season I take time off from doing much distance running. It is just to hard for my body to accommodate sprint workouts, cleats, and distance running. Ideally I'd be able to mix the two, but I have yet to figure it out without the fear of injury. But this blog is supposed to include a lot about running and my journey towards Leadville so I'll focus a bit more on that now that ultimate season is in the off season.
Since I last wrote I ran a couple races.
Moab Half Marathon (March)
Time: 2:01:04
This is always a fun race. You run through the canyon into town and for most of the race you're surrounded by beautiful canyon walls with the sun just coming through and the Colorado River rushing past. Then you get to run down a highway with cars choking exhaust at you and a head wind enough to blow your contacts out. It was not my best half marathon and I sort of bonked when I hit the road. It seems that bonking is becoming a more popular thing for me and roads. I'll probably put my name in for the lottery again.
Goal time for 2013: 1:55
Salida Run Through time Half Marathon
Race Website
Time: 2:35:15
I love this race. Seriously, if you want to get into trail racing, this is a great place to start. It is challenging enough that you need to work on trail racing, but not so challenging that you won't have fun. We've been blessed with wonderful weather the last two years so I'm sure next year we'll be running through feets of snow. But I'll still run it. Actually I'm going to do the full marathon. I felt pretty good the whole race, but couldn't quite give it enough juice to finish in under 2 1/2 hours which was my goal. I did shave 3min off my time.
Goal time for 2013 marathon: 5hrs
Quad Rock 25miler
Race Website
Location: Fort Collins Colorado
Time: 6:23:19
This was the first year for this race. There was a 25miler and a 50miler. I opted for the 25er and was on the wait list for awhile before being bumped up. This was a super challenging race. It had 5500ft of elevation gain which was broken into about 3 big climbs throughout the race. I had no idea what my time could be so I set out to break 7 hours. I was so psyched when I was coming down the last 3 miles well under that time. It was a great race and there were awesome people all along the race course (runners and volunteers). I never once felt like I could get lost and the fellowship between the 25milers and 50milers was awesome. I am definitely going to do this race again, but I think I'm still a year off from taking on the 50miler.
Goal time for 2013: 6:15
Grandma's Marathon
Race Website
Location: Duluth, Minnesota
Time: 4:06:17
I had high hopes for this race. This would be my 4th time running it and I was dead set on breaking 4 hours. And I was well on my way to break 4 hours until about mile 20 where I bonked. My body literally felt like it had shut down. Here's what my brain said "Only 6.2 miles left to go, it's like a 10K and you're golden, just stick with the pacer". Here's what my body said "Go ahead, but I'm just going to make your legs stop working". I knew I couldn't change what my legs would do so I took a moment to feel bummed that I wasn't going to make my goal time. Then I decided that I was going to have fun the last 6 miles. I ate candy that was being passed out, I waved, I encouraged other runners, I drank a beer offered by some college kids. I finished at about the same time I finished last year, but had a lot more fun doing it which gives me hope for future races. I'm not sure if I'll sign up again or not, my sister might sign up and if she does then I am definitely in.
Goal time for 2013: 3:59:59
In addition to the above races I've signed up for a snow shoe race in January in Nederland. It's 11.4 miles and it will kick my butt. I'm hoping to finish it in 4 hours. 4 hours would put me at the winning time for the 30K. Winning times last year for the 11.4miles were around 2hours. I think I'm going to look for a 50K. It sort of depends on how early in the season it is and if I do Grandma's marathon. I want to start upping the mileage on races I do so I can still meet my goal of running Leadville by 2016.
I'll end this post on a quote I dug out from my box of randomness. It's from Dave Eggers "You Shall Know our Velocity". In addition to the work struggles, I still feel struggles as an athlete wanting to go faster and farther. My family also recently lost someone suddenly so I feel like this quote encompasses what we all feel as we move through life. It may help put life's challenges into perspective:
"The density is desirable. Apparently they see the soul the opposite as we do, where it's the lightest thing. This wispy ghost thing. They think of it like a mountain. Like a mountain each of us carries around, and you want your mountain strong and dense because that means your family has lived lives of great experience. But the trick I guess is to find a way to move around"
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Race updates
It has been awhile since I've written and since that time I've run in two races; Salida runthrough time half marathon and canyonlands half marathon. While both races were half marathons, they could not have been more different.
Salida run through time
Length: 13.1 miles
Elevation gain/loss: 2200ft gain/loss overall
Weather: sunny, 60 degrees maybe more, no wind
Final time: 2hrs 35minute
I ate fruity pebbles and a bagel for breakfast. The race went well. I continue to battle being a better uphill runner. This is something I have struggled with since becoming a runner. Last year I decided I was going to become a better uphill runner and for the most part I have. I no longer feel scared about the challenge and have adapted a mental strategy to be comfortable with my run no matter how slow my pace is. I feel like I made some strides this year and managed to cut my time down by 3 min. That may be because I didn't fall on my face this year, but I also feel like I ran a little faster.
Despite the slow time, being a trail run I feel like that is a good time. I don't expect to run as fast as I do on flat pavement courses. I also had a great time and felt pretty great at the end of the race.
Canyonlands half marathon
Length: 13.1miles
Elevation gain/loss: neglegable but mostly downhill
Weather: sunny, 65-70 degrees, 20mph winds
Final time: 2hrs 01minutes
I ate oatmeal and a honey stinger. The race started at ten, which seemed late for a race. I didn't feel like this race went well and I am struggling with how to reconcile my frustration. True the strong winds impacted most runners and everyone seemed to agree. I believe bad weather is not always a negative and it helps you practice running strong in various situations. However I truly fell apart at the race. I started out feeling tired and that running was laborious, but felt much better by about mile 4. The mid point in the race went well but after the hill at mile 9/10 is lowed down and continued to, especially at the highway. My goal for the race was 1:50 so I missed the mark by almost a minute a mile. I timed my miles and was sub 9min for most of the race.my end average time was 9:13 so I lost a lot the last three miles.
Despite my time being faster than Salida, I feel like this was just a really crappy race for me and Salida was a much better race. Canyonlands was exactly a week after Salida so I may still be struggling with "back to back" races. I am tempted to blame the race on the wind, but I still feel like I had a better time in me for this race.
I would love to hear from other runners how they recover after bad races and how they manage to break through the next level in running faster.
Salida run through time
Length: 13.1 miles
Elevation gain/loss: 2200ft gain/loss overall
Weather: sunny, 60 degrees maybe more, no wind
Final time: 2hrs 35minute
I ate fruity pebbles and a bagel for breakfast. The race went well. I continue to battle being a better uphill runner. This is something I have struggled with since becoming a runner. Last year I decided I was going to become a better uphill runner and for the most part I have. I no longer feel scared about the challenge and have adapted a mental strategy to be comfortable with my run no matter how slow my pace is. I feel like I made some strides this year and managed to cut my time down by 3 min. That may be because I didn't fall on my face this year, but I also feel like I ran a little faster.
Despite the slow time, being a trail run I feel like that is a good time. I don't expect to run as fast as I do on flat pavement courses. I also had a great time and felt pretty great at the end of the race.
Canyonlands half marathon
Length: 13.1miles
Elevation gain/loss: neglegable but mostly downhill
Weather: sunny, 65-70 degrees, 20mph winds
Final time: 2hrs 01minutes
I ate oatmeal and a honey stinger. The race started at ten, which seemed late for a race. I didn't feel like this race went well and I am struggling with how to reconcile my frustration. True the strong winds impacted most runners and everyone seemed to agree. I believe bad weather is not always a negative and it helps you practice running strong in various situations. However I truly fell apart at the race. I started out feeling tired and that running was laborious, but felt much better by about mile 4. The mid point in the race went well but after the hill at mile 9/10 is lowed down and continued to, especially at the highway. My goal for the race was 1:50 so I missed the mark by almost a minute a mile. I timed my miles and was sub 9min for most of the race.my end average time was 9:13 so I lost a lot the last three miles.
Despite my time being faster than Salida, I feel like this was just a really crappy race for me and Salida was a much better race. Canyonlands was exactly a week after Salida so I may still be struggling with "back to back" races. I am tempted to blame the race on the wind, but I still feel like I had a better time in me for this race.
I would love to hear from other runners how they recover after bad races and how they manage to break through the next level in running faster.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
New Post New Post!
I'm finally getting around to writing a new post, which is super exciting! The Legislative Session started 2 weeks ago and things are pretty much in "attack mode" in the office. Although sometimes attack mode better describes what we do to the snacks in the kitchen rather than pieces of legislation. There are some pretty exciting things cooking under the Gold Dome so here's a synopsis:
1. Frenemies
This year started as any year starts with a bunch of "we'll work together, we will work for Colorado, we won't fight, we will find solutions...blah blah blah". It is great sounding rhetoric on opening day speeches, but in practicality there is still a very strong election year vibe of hatred going on down here. Some of you might ask why, why don't they just suck it up and work together. The answer is complicated, but in the short of it elections matter, who controls the House/Senate matters, and this is decided by what you do during the year because the Corporate Personhood People will run ads this summer about who voted for what and why they are bad. The House spent a good chunk of their time last week discussion a House Resolution to hold a Constitutional Convention to repeal the Federal Healthcare law. Pundits are in agreement that this was largely done because two House Democrats are running for federal office and they wanted them "on the record" voting for Federal Healthcare. The resolution is: HR12-1003, it is nonbinding and the Senate won't even bring it up or discuss it. This is coupled onto some fighting within the same party which makes for a really joyous lovable attitude down at the Capitol.
2. Screw you Feds we're going home
There are a lot of bills this session that have to do with repealing federal requirements, asking for waivers from federal requirements, and overall anger over "big brother" telling us what to do. There are several bills that look at health care, the federal healthcare law, and one that deals with assessment testing in education.
3. Jobs jobs jobs
Jobs, that's the theme, and by golly we are going to create jobs in Colorado. The Democrats and Republican's both released their "jobs package" on the first day. Republicans are looking at it from removing red tape and regulations, Democrats are looking at it from creating opportunities for employment. The real interesting part of the story will be what happens to these bills when they go over to the other house.
I'd love to write more, but I'm about drained for the day. Hopefully I'll be able to update on more specific bills that I'm interested in and keep tabs on as they move through the process. If you don't understand how a bill watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-eYBZFEzf8
1. Frenemies
This year started as any year starts with a bunch of "we'll work together, we will work for Colorado, we won't fight, we will find solutions...blah blah blah". It is great sounding rhetoric on opening day speeches, but in practicality there is still a very strong election year vibe of hatred going on down here. Some of you might ask why, why don't they just suck it up and work together. The answer is complicated, but in the short of it elections matter, who controls the House/Senate matters, and this is decided by what you do during the year because the Corporate Personhood People will run ads this summer about who voted for what and why they are bad. The House spent a good chunk of their time last week discussion a House Resolution to hold a Constitutional Convention to repeal the Federal Healthcare law. Pundits are in agreement that this was largely done because two House Democrats are running for federal office and they wanted them "on the record" voting for Federal Healthcare. The resolution is: HR12-1003, it is nonbinding and the Senate won't even bring it up or discuss it. This is coupled onto some fighting within the same party which makes for a really joyous lovable attitude down at the Capitol.
2. Screw you Feds we're going home
There are a lot of bills this session that have to do with repealing federal requirements, asking for waivers from federal requirements, and overall anger over "big brother" telling us what to do. There are several bills that look at health care, the federal healthcare law, and one that deals with assessment testing in education.
3. Jobs jobs jobs
Jobs, that's the theme, and by golly we are going to create jobs in Colorado. The Democrats and Republican's both released their "jobs package" on the first day. Republicans are looking at it from removing red tape and regulations, Democrats are looking at it from creating opportunities for employment. The real interesting part of the story will be what happens to these bills when they go over to the other house.
I'd love to write more, but I'm about drained for the day. Hopefully I'll be able to update on more specific bills that I'm interested in and keep tabs on as they move through the process. If you don't understand how a bill watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-eYBZFEzf8
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Training: Day 1
So training Day 1 actually happened on Sunday, but I'm just getting around to writing it...
My good friend Ryan (who also writes a great running blog called feets of pedestrianism) let me know that sadly Leadville has filled up for this year. All I can say is, "lucky for you runners because I just ran 6 miles". The race is in August so let's just say that Training Day 1 does not mean I'm racing this August.
I am doing a couple races this year with the potential to do more. It sort of depends on the frisbee season. If I play I usually cut off my running in June so I don't get hurt and that means all my races have to happen from March to June. Which seems like a lot of time, but not a lot when you look at weekends and recovery. Here's my race list so far:
Salida Run Through Time Half Marathon - March 10th
Canyonlands Half Marathon (Moab) - March 17th
Grandma's Marathon (Duluth) - June 16th
I am looking into more races and it sort of depends on how I feel. There are a couple I've done in the past that I literally signed up for the week (or a couple days) before. Those include:
Platte River Half Marathon - April 15th
Bentonville Running Festival - March 31st (I did this one on a whim because I was visiting Arkansas at the time for my nephews baptism, it was a fun race and I got a full size bottle of mustard in my race packet).
I'd like to get in another full marathon so if anyone has an idea shoot it my way. The Salida race has a full marathon component, however it is a trail race so I am still working up to doing a full on trail. I also don't think I can get enough training in before then to feel good about it.
So anyways, training day 1...
Sunday was nice out, cold but really sunny so it was warm to run. We just got some snow so I wore my trail running shoes in case I encountered any ice. I ran the "Sloan's Lake" route, which is about 6 miles. Here are the details:
Length : ~6miles
Time: 1hr 5min
Not really a fast pace by any means (over a 10min mile), but I'm trying to remind myself that right now I just need to rebuild my base for mileage and speed isn't a big factor right now. For training I'm using the www.marathontraining.com guide Mileage Buildup Schedule. I hope to move into the actual marathon training schedule for marathon training and beyond. Jeremiah used this and he got second one time so I'm pretty hopeful this will slingshot me into the olympics.
My goals for this month of running are as follows:
1. Run at least 4 days per week (one of those runs a morning run)
2. Go to either crossfit or yoga one day a week
3. Lift at least 2 days a week
4. Run a total of 75 miles.
Wish me luck! Yesterday was a "rest" day so today I need to run 3 miles. The way this training guide works, the runs during the week are not so long that I can't fit them in because of my work schedule which is awesome.
Oh yeah, the Colorado General Assembly starts tomorrow. I'm going to try really hard to post something about the first day and what to expect for the next 120 days.
My good friend Ryan (who also writes a great running blog called feets of pedestrianism) let me know that sadly Leadville has filled up for this year. All I can say is, "lucky for you runners because I just ran 6 miles". The race is in August so let's just say that Training Day 1 does not mean I'm racing this August.
I am doing a couple races this year with the potential to do more. It sort of depends on the frisbee season. If I play I usually cut off my running in June so I don't get hurt and that means all my races have to happen from March to June. Which seems like a lot of time, but not a lot when you look at weekends and recovery. Here's my race list so far:
Salida Run Through Time Half Marathon - March 10th
Canyonlands Half Marathon (Moab) - March 17th
Grandma's Marathon (Duluth) - June 16th
I am looking into more races and it sort of depends on how I feel. There are a couple I've done in the past that I literally signed up for the week (or a couple days) before. Those include:
Platte River Half Marathon - April 15th
Bentonville Running Festival - March 31st (I did this one on a whim because I was visiting Arkansas at the time for my nephews baptism, it was a fun race and I got a full size bottle of mustard in my race packet).
I'd like to get in another full marathon so if anyone has an idea shoot it my way. The Salida race has a full marathon component, however it is a trail race so I am still working up to doing a full on trail. I also don't think I can get enough training in before then to feel good about it.
So anyways, training day 1...
Sunday was nice out, cold but really sunny so it was warm to run. We just got some snow so I wore my trail running shoes in case I encountered any ice. I ran the "Sloan's Lake" route, which is about 6 miles. Here are the details:
Length : ~6miles
Time: 1hr 5min
Not really a fast pace by any means (over a 10min mile), but I'm trying to remind myself that right now I just need to rebuild my base for mileage and speed isn't a big factor right now. For training I'm using the www.marathontraining.com guide Mileage Buildup Schedule. I hope to move into the actual marathon training schedule for marathon training and beyond. Jeremiah used this and he got second one time so I'm pretty hopeful this will slingshot me into the olympics.
My goals for this month of running are as follows:
1. Run at least 4 days per week (one of those runs a morning run)
2. Go to either crossfit or yoga one day a week
3. Lift at least 2 days a week
4. Run a total of 75 miles.
Wish me luck! Yesterday was a "rest" day so today I need to run 3 miles. The way this training guide works, the runs during the week are not so long that I can't fit them in because of my work schedule which is awesome.
Oh yeah, the Colorado General Assembly starts tomorrow. I'm going to try really hard to post something about the first day and what to expect for the next 120 days.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Lonely? Have a Meeting!
No lie this has been what I've been doing for awhile which explains the lack of posts:
Actually I haven't been bored, but I've been in a lot of meeting. I've also been doing some Christmas things so I hope you found something else to do on the internet. Maybe you could have a meeting about why I don't post consistently. Just an idea...
Gosh a lot of things have happened in the world too. There's the European financial crisis, reapportionment and redistricting fights in Colorado, Kim Jong dieing, my friend Jamie died her hair...wow, just wow. Oh and I put a picture up on the front of the blog!
I could cover what I've missed, but I think I'll just move on and address some upcoming events.
Jeremiah and I are headed to Minnesota for Christmas to see family and friends. My sister, brother in law, and nephews are all going to be visiting and it should be a pretty fun Christmas. We're going to try and go skiing at Lutsen Which currently has a 12-24" base. If that doesn't pan out we may take some turns at Mont Du Lac a pretty high quality hill in Duluth. However I hear it has new management so we'll see if it still lives up to the fun we had last time we were therhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife. Here's a picture:
We may also hit up some cross country skiing at Hartley Field and of course we will go to the Brewhouse for some good beer and hopefully some Charlie Parr. Going to the Brewhouse also ends up being a defacto school reunion so I'm sure I'll see some old high school peeps hanging around.
My good friend Jen is also having a big birthday party on New Years Eve, we're going to get all dolled up and hit to town.
So I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays however you believe in spending it.
Actually I haven't been bored, but I've been in a lot of meeting. I've also been doing some Christmas things so I hope you found something else to do on the internet. Maybe you could have a meeting about why I don't post consistently. Just an idea...
Gosh a lot of things have happened in the world too. There's the European financial crisis, reapportionment and redistricting fights in Colorado, Kim Jong dieing, my friend Jamie died her hair...wow, just wow. Oh and I put a picture up on the front of the blog!
I could cover what I've missed, but I think I'll just move on and address some upcoming events.
Jeremiah and I are headed to Minnesota for Christmas to see family and friends. My sister, brother in law, and nephews are all going to be visiting and it should be a pretty fun Christmas. We're going to try and go skiing at Lutsen Which currently has a 12-24" base. If that doesn't pan out we may take some turns at Mont Du Lac a pretty high quality hill in Duluth. However I hear it has new management so we'll see if it still lives up to the fun we had last time we were therhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife. Here's a picture:
We may also hit up some cross country skiing at Hartley Field and of course we will go to the Brewhouse for some good beer and hopefully some Charlie Parr. Going to the Brewhouse also ends up being a defacto school reunion so I'm sure I'll see some old high school peeps hanging around.
My good friend Jen is also having a big birthday party on New Years Eve, we're going to get all dolled up and hit to town.
So I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays however you believe in spending it.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The soup was good
The abrupt ending to the last post was worth it. Shelley and I went to the Spicy Pickle. I originally ordered the butternut squash, but they were out, so I got a tomato/roasted red pepper soup instead and it was great.
I wanted to write a bit about a new endeavor I started called Crossfit. I've only been to two classes, but it's pretty amazing. I don't think I can really explain what it is, but if you googled it you'd get plenty of videos/write-ups. My friend Yelena got us all a deal at a Denver gym (www.crossfitbroadway.com). It is like nothing I have ever done before.
I've always struggled getting into weigh lifting. I think part of it was feeling like I wasn't really getting a good exercise because I wasn't running. I also just assumed I'd never really be one of those people, the people that lift in the gym. But crossfit is pretty active and I definitely feel like I'm getting a workout in. Yesterday I was sweating so much drops of water were coming off my face, it was pretty gross. Additionally, the instructors so far have done an amazing job breaking down the lifts. I am going through the "elements" class which teaches you how to do all the different crossfit moves. So if you are interested in starting I recommend doing something like that so you can ask a lot of questions. I'm hoping that I can keep going and stay consistent because I feel like it will really help me in sprinting and overall fitness for running.
One thing I really struggled with at last nights class were squats. I am embarrassed to say I was a catcher in fast pitch softball (both high school and college)and I am horrible at squatting correctly. I try to excuse it by saying I needed to always be on my toes, which is true, but I should still be better at it. I just have a really hard time getting my weight on my heels and outside of my feet with my chest up without falling forward if I go down past my knees. I can barely get my quads parallel to the floor. The instructor told me to practice at home and I tried some today. I kept falling over (forwards and backwards). If anyone has any good tips I'd like to hear them. I'm not sure if it is more lack of flexibility, lack of muscle strength, or too much boobage.
I have also enjoyed crossfit so far because it focuses on you and not you trying to beat everyone. There's a competitive aspect, but a lot of it is competing against yourself not the class. So far the workout sets have been designed in a way to let anyone do it at any ability level. You can be squating a 35lb bar with two 10lb weights on each side and the guy next to you can be doing it is 25lb weights on each side or my friend Tina can be behind you with a 45lb bar with 10lbs on each side. You get to do it at the weight that is right for you. Except burpees, there is no really easy way to do burpees because no matter what you have to do a pushup. Ick... I've done more "big girl" pushups in the last week then I think I've done in my whole life.
I'm happy to answer any other questions people have about crossfit. I'll keep you posted on what new exciting workouts were doing and if I think it's helping with my running/ultimate/lobbying. I'm pretty sure it will pay off for lobbying. Look at Michelle Obama's arms, she's ripped. I'm just 8 classes away from being just like the first lady.
I wanted to write a bit about a new endeavor I started called Crossfit. I've only been to two classes, but it's pretty amazing. I don't think I can really explain what it is, but if you googled it you'd get plenty of videos/write-ups. My friend Yelena got us all a deal at a Denver gym (www.crossfitbroadway.com). It is like nothing I have ever done before.
I've always struggled getting into weigh lifting. I think part of it was feeling like I wasn't really getting a good exercise because I wasn't running. I also just assumed I'd never really be one of those people, the people that lift in the gym. But crossfit is pretty active and I definitely feel like I'm getting a workout in. Yesterday I was sweating so much drops of water were coming off my face, it was pretty gross. Additionally, the instructors so far have done an amazing job breaking down the lifts. I am going through the "elements" class which teaches you how to do all the different crossfit moves. So if you are interested in starting I recommend doing something like that so you can ask a lot of questions. I'm hoping that I can keep going and stay consistent because I feel like it will really help me in sprinting and overall fitness for running.
One thing I really struggled with at last nights class were squats. I am embarrassed to say I was a catcher in fast pitch softball (both high school and college)and I am horrible at squatting correctly. I try to excuse it by saying I needed to always be on my toes, which is true, but I should still be better at it. I just have a really hard time getting my weight on my heels and outside of my feet with my chest up without falling forward if I go down past my knees. I can barely get my quads parallel to the floor. The instructor told me to practice at home and I tried some today. I kept falling over (forwards and backwards). If anyone has any good tips I'd like to hear them. I'm not sure if it is more lack of flexibility, lack of muscle strength, or too much boobage.
I have also enjoyed crossfit so far because it focuses on you and not you trying to beat everyone. There's a competitive aspect, but a lot of it is competing against yourself not the class. So far the workout sets have been designed in a way to let anyone do it at any ability level. You can be squating a 35lb bar with two 10lb weights on each side and the guy next to you can be doing it is 25lb weights on each side or my friend Tina can be behind you with a 45lb bar with 10lbs on each side. You get to do it at the weight that is right for you. Except burpees, there is no really easy way to do burpees because no matter what you have to do a pushup. Ick... I've done more "big girl" pushups in the last week then I think I've done in my whole life.
I'm happy to answer any other questions people have about crossfit. I'll keep you posted on what new exciting workouts were doing and if I think it's helping with my running/ultimate/lobbying. I'm pretty sure it will pay off for lobbying. Look at Michelle Obama's arms, she's ripped. I'm just 8 classes away from being just like the first lady.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Omnibus Post
Sorry I haven't written anything in awhile. If you are expecting a blog that has regular updates you are probably going to be disappointed. I am going to put something on my Ipad so I can upload posts on that so you won't have to go so long without a post in the near future.
My co-worker Jeff asked before he went to Hawaii, when I am going to post about work because that is what he is excited to read. If you don't know I'm a lobbyist and to answer your questions: No I don't do oil and gas, cigarettes, firearms lobbying, No we don't get to sit in box seats of Bronco's games and entertain legislators with fine wine and sushi, Yes sometimes politics makes me sad.
I lobby at the state level and the Colorado General Assembly is getting ready to start up again in January. Right now my office is doing all the prep work before session; drafting bills, finding sponsors, cleaning out files. This session should be interesting, it is the session before an election which means a lot of "constituent pleasing" in the form of Legislation. Often that means we have to try and kill bad bills. I will probably do a "what to look forward to for 2012" blog post once I have some more intel on what bills are coming forward. I do want to talk about one recent event that I think is important, it's called Personhood.
Colorado is home to Personhood USA, a group that tries to create personhood for fertilized eggs. They are an extreme anti-choice group that has tried and failed at getting a Personhood amendment onto our state's Constitution. The amendment (48 in 2008 and 62 in 2010) sought to give rights to fertilized eggs which in turn would ban most forms of birth control, invitro-fertilization, and abortion (even in cases of rape, incest, or health of the mother). It would take away a women's right to plan her family. I don't care much to argue about whether you agree with abortion or not. I will argue about a woman's ability to make choices that affect her body. I will also argue about whether it is right to put things like this into our State's Constitution. But that is for another time. Right now I just want to make you aware that the Personhood USA group announced their campaign to put another initiative on the ballot for 2012. The language is different, but as they stated in their press conference, "It will do the same thing that the amendment in 2008 and 2010 sought to do".
That's really all I'm going to write at this moment. Shelley asked me to go get some soup for lunch and that sounds pretty good. I do plan on writing some more this week so stay tuned. Future topics include: CROSSFIT or as I call it concurring the 35lb bar, Why the Honda Fit is called the Honda Jazz in Norway, Favorite beers, and running.
My co-worker Jeff asked before he went to Hawaii, when I am going to post about work because that is what he is excited to read. If you don't know I'm a lobbyist and to answer your questions: No I don't do oil and gas, cigarettes, firearms lobbying, No we don't get to sit in box seats of Bronco's games and entertain legislators with fine wine and sushi, Yes sometimes politics makes me sad.
I lobby at the state level and the Colorado General Assembly is getting ready to start up again in January. Right now my office is doing all the prep work before session; drafting bills, finding sponsors, cleaning out files. This session should be interesting, it is the session before an election which means a lot of "constituent pleasing" in the form of Legislation. Often that means we have to try and kill bad bills. I will probably do a "what to look forward to for 2012" blog post once I have some more intel on what bills are coming forward. I do want to talk about one recent event that I think is important, it's called Personhood.
Colorado is home to Personhood USA, a group that tries to create personhood for fertilized eggs. They are an extreme anti-choice group that has tried and failed at getting a Personhood amendment onto our state's Constitution. The amendment (48 in 2008 and 62 in 2010) sought to give rights to fertilized eggs which in turn would ban most forms of birth control, invitro-fertilization, and abortion (even in cases of rape, incest, or health of the mother). It would take away a women's right to plan her family. I don't care much to argue about whether you agree with abortion or not. I will argue about a woman's ability to make choices that affect her body. I will also argue about whether it is right to put things like this into our State's Constitution. But that is for another time. Right now I just want to make you aware that the Personhood USA group announced their campaign to put another initiative on the ballot for 2012. The language is different, but as they stated in their press conference, "It will do the same thing that the amendment in 2008 and 2010 sought to do".
That's really all I'm going to write at this moment. Shelley asked me to go get some soup for lunch and that sounds pretty good. I do plan on writing some more this week so stay tuned. Future topics include: CROSSFIT or as I call it concurring the 35lb bar, Why the Honda Fit is called the Honda Jazz in Norway, Favorite beers, and running.
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