A request

First of all, I want to welcome Landy. I also want to thank Dave for putting a link to our site because it has helped us get an actual following, very cool. Now down to business.

I just finished my first 2k row and it was horrible. I do not think I know how to breathe properly while doing this exercise. This might sound stupid but I have had this problem before. When I started running about a year and a half ago. I had to work on the breathing correctly. I seem to get really worried about it and then it all goes to S#!t. Which reminds me... Mandy, less then 2 years ago I could not run a mile. I will say that again. I could literally not run a mile. In January, I ran 26.2 of them. Do not get discouraged. If I can do it, I know you can. I know this because you are a bad ass. I used this book to help me:

Now, back to me. I am getting very easily distracted in this post. By the way the tacos from Chipotle were really good and in the "zone". That time I did it for effect. So, my rowing was very bad. The 2k took me 9:47. Feel free to laugh and point. I know it was bad. If someone, anyone would show me how to be a better rower and actually take in oxygen while doing it, I would greatly appreciate it.

~bea

F Lunch.

Lunch sucks for me. It is in the middle of my work/school day, I want to go home, I want to take a nap, and I'm either tired from my 6:15am workout, or dreading my 6pm workout. I also find that because I need lunch to be relatively convenient (easy to take to school with me or at least a pretty quick meal) it ends up being a last minute compilation of shit that I don't really want to eat (ie- a can of tuna, 16,000 cups of zone approved broccoli, an apple, and some almonds). That's all fine and good for some people, but not me. I am a food snob-- sometimes I need meals that "go together"...and that's not always easy in a hurry--especially in the zone. This meal however was awesomely delicious, easy, healthy, and cheap!

3 oz. rotisserie chicken (pre-made from whole foods)
1 C. kale with sesame dressing
1/2 C. carrots with herbs and olive oil
3/4 C. blackberries

I know carrots are "unfavorable"... but they are delicious, the serving size isn't as daunting as say...20 C of raw spinach...and dammit, I refuse to get a complex over eating carrots. They are a flipping vegetable, people! Sarah Dunsmore....HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM ZONE APPLES!?!? :)


*mandy

Best Breakfast EVER.

So, I'm eating my breakfast as I type-- and I thought I'd share it, since I think its freaking delicious, and I feel like a million bucks after eating it. Besides, a few of us had discussed doing a post every day where people could add their meals under the comments section so we could hold ourselves and each other accountable-- soooo we can use this post to do that. Anyways, back to this BANG TIME of a breakfast... Its pretty much an open-faced egg sammich (yes, sammich). I toast 1/2 of a whole wheat english muffin. I drizzle some sriracha on top of that (you know that spicy red asian sauce with the rooster on it-- my roommates and I maturely refer to it as cock sauce. too much information?). Add 1 oz. fried ham, 1 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, and 1 fried egg-- pile it up and go to town! Its tip-top... I promise. My other carb block is filled up by the cherries (8 to be exact), and my fat is taken care of by 3 Tbs. avocado (plus the small amount of olive oil i use to fry everything up). This is a pretty standard breakfast for me (sometimes I sub almonds for the avo), and it is seriously ON POINT. Its a great way to start the day, keeps me full for a long time, and is a pretty dang great recovery meal (I work out in the mornings, so that's important for me). Happy zoning.

*mandy

Meatloaf

I liked the turkey meatloaf from Whole Foods; but I did not like the broccoli. Rich also called me at work on the first day to ask me what the slug was in his lunch. He has not actually said so, but I am guessing he did not like the sweet potato. That being said I decided to make my own turkey meatloaf. 4.5 oz makes 3 blocks of protein. I think it came out pretty well. Here is the recipe:

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions) 2 tablespoons good olive oil 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried) 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 3/4 cup chicken stock 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste 5 pounds ground turkey breast 1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs 3 extra-large eggs, beaten 3/4 cup ketchup Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature. Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. ~bea

Hand care

Since I am being a big baby about my hand, I have been reading a lot about hand care. I read one scientific article that was completely useless because it talked only about the elderly. I kept reading hoping to glean some insight, but no. I did learn that when I get old I should moisturize a lot. This is completely useless in my current predicament. The best article I found on this actually came from the Crossfit Journal. They say that there are 2 things that lead to ripping:
1) soft hands with little or no callus build-up or
2) too much callus buildup that makes bumps or ridges on the surface of your hands.
You want something in between. The best thing, as we all know, is to have tough but smooth calluses.

Once you get a tear you should:
1) remove all extra skin
2) wash with soap and water (yes, this will hurt like hell)
3) cover with Neosporin
4) put a bandage on and leave on over night
5) when you wake up in the morning wash again and cover with vitamin E
6) from now on, leave in with out a bandage so that it can be exposed to the air

As for prevention, you should do what we all do anyway..... build up calluses and then file them down smooth. Both the Crossfit Journal and the guy from Crossfit Delaware recommend for high reps (like Angie) that you use these:


~bea

Angie

I attempted Angie for the first time yesterday. Before Rich and I got to the gym I had resolved to use the blue band and not venture down to the yellow. I have been using red, but I can only do 3 at a time and I really did not see me making it through 100 pull-ups. There were a few new girls in the class that either did all jumping or yellow then jumping. Watching them get through it much faster made it very hard to keep myself on that blue band, but I did. I tore my hand with three pull-ups to go. I came off the bar and thought: that f@*%king hurts way more than it should. Mandy snapped me back into it by saying "Just 3 more to go Bea". The push-ups were made worse by my pulsating hand. I can only imagine how bad it was for Dori; she destroyed her hands. I was very happy to move on to the sit-ups. I used the GHD for them. I still get a little dizzy going all the way back to touch the ground. Squats were a down right joy after all of that. I finished in 24:02. I slept really well last night and I am glad that today is a rest day.
~Bea

Recovery cont'd

So, I wrote this in the comments earlier because I couldn't figure out how to make it a post by itself. I think Alison asked about recovery tips. Here are some things that I do for recovery that I wanted to pass on.

1. Zoning in general (this is my shameless plug). It really does help with recovery.

2. After my workouts (optimally within 1/2 hr) I have a combination of fast-acting proteins and carbohydrates, with less fat than usual. I have not come up with a single perfect proportion between the two, but it usually hovers around 6 proteins to 10 carbs. Eat less fat at this time (fat slows the digestion of it all, and I need it to enter faster). So generally, I have about a cup of chocolate milk and a small scoop of whey protein. Yes folks, this is a wonderful time of day. Nothing wrong with some chocolate milk and whey protein! (If you really are opposed to chocolate milk, try sweet potatoes). And if getting "big" or bulky is a worry, don't worry. Pounding why protein shakes all day is one thing, and having whey at specific recovery times is quite another. I find that I have a VERY difficult time putting on any mass while I am zoning. For better or for worse, that's what tends to happen.

3. Fish oil! This stuff really aids in recovery. You will feel a difference. I pop it a couple of times a day, and I get mine from Trader Joes. No need to order it directly from Zone because they will charge you an arm and a leg. Just get fish oil that is "molecularly distilled".

4. Ice bath within 2 hours of my workout if the workout was really hard on my muscles. If the workout doesn't warrant a full ice bath but was still pretty tough, I will get in the shower and alternate cold and warm water in rounds of a couple minutes each.

5. Epsom salts baths. Pour a bag of epsom salts into a warm bath and live it up. Warm baths feel really good. I wouldn't do this within 2 hours of your workout, unless you have already cooled off your muscles with an ice bath or cold shower.

6. Multi-vitamin. I am taking One-A-Days right now, but just until I finish the bottle. Then I am switching to a whole foods vitamin. I really do think they are better for you.

7. Sleep longer. Sleep sounds basic, but I am bad at this one, and I see a major difference in my energy and performance based on how much sleep I am getting.

8. Static stretching post workout. (Before workouts I do active stretches).

9. Glucosamine: not yet in my habits, but I have resolved to start taking it this week for joint health. I do believe it will be beneficial.

~Sarah

Sweet Treats

Jack and I found sugar free dark chocolate expresso beans at Whole Foods. 7 pieces equals one block of fat and 1/2 block of carbs.

Another "dessert" is this ricotta cheese recipe:

1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup blueberries

1 splenda

a dash of vanilla flavoring

You can make this several different ways... cocoa powder makes it taste like chocolate ice cream. It's about a one block snack.

~Dori

And you said no one was doing this blog...

Bea,

You told me last night no one was on the blog and I felt really bad. So bad I was going to put my shameful day of zoneing up here just for you. But now I see I will have to put this out there for all to see. Well, maybe the embarrassment will keep me on the straight and narrow. So, here it is, yesterday's meals. This day was like most, it started out great but ended terribly...

Breakfast:

1 egg w/ 1 tbs of parmesan cheese (1 block protein)

2 slices turkey bacon (2 blocks protein)

1 slice Ezekiel bread (1 block carb)

1 tbs smart life butter (or something like butter) (1 block fat)

1 cup coffee w/creamer and splenda (that should be about 2 blocks fat, I'm always a little light on the carbs at breakfast)

Mid-morning:

Protein shake with skim milk

This is not really part of the zone, but I started adding protein mid morning and after workouts to see if it helps me in my workouts and I'm hoping I'll build some muscle...we'll see. The protein shake is no carbs or fat, just 20 grams of protein.

Lunch:

Whole Foods Turkey Meatloaf Meal...thanks Mandy!

4.5 oz. turkey meatloaf (3 blocks protein)

1 sliver sweet potato (1 block carb)

1 cup broccolli (almost a block carbs)

small salad, no dressing (more carbs)

I figure the fat is built into the meatloaf and the sweet potato so I didn't add any. Again, my carbs might be light. Do I need to make more of an effort to get the right carbs?

Snack:

1 string cheese (1 block protein)

6 peanuts (1 block fat)

handful of baby carrots (1 block carb)

Dinner:

salad with grilled chicken

2 beers...this where it starts to fall apart, but at least I'm making up for those lost carbs earlier in the day (yes, I know that's not really how it works)

More wine once I get home :(

The wine makes me feel like I need some bread so I have two slices of Ezekiel bread w/ a little bit of smartlife butter...and I've officially left the zone. Hoping for better luck (will power) today.

~Dori

This was a bad day

Okay, I will start with a posting of shame.
Breakfast: Coffee with milk and 2 sugars (this I will never give up)
Mid Morning Snack: Mango
Lunch: Whole foods Meatloaf meal (I did not finish the broccoli or the sweet potato)
That is it.
I know it was a bad day. I did finish today's WOD in 6:48 with 43lbs though. Not too bad for someone who clearly did not eat enough today.
Your turn!

Not exactly on subject

So, for the last few weeks I have been reducing my intake of grain products, i.e. bread, pasta, rice, etc. I have been doing this because I am attempting to be in the "Zone". But, I am getting a little ahead of myself. I get sick to my stomach a lot. Way more than anyone I know other than my mom's dog who, gets ill if he eats anything other than his special sensitive tummy dog food. This illness gets really bad when I drink. I don't get hung over; it can happen after one beer. I get flu like symptoms. I have a head ache, stomach ache, I am tired and my entire body feels like crap. This is problematic when you go out with friends. Most of the time I can get away with one beer. This was not the case however, last night. I have experimented and found that I do not get sick with wine, vodka, or tequila. I do however with beer and malt liquor. And.... that bagel on Monday. The way I feel today annoyed me so much that I started to do some more research into it. What evil ingredient was in all three things... the answer Barley. I called my Dr (Dave's wife) and asked for a referral to an allergist. I have not gotten one yet, I do not see why she would not. Hopefully I am right and I can just try to avoid this evil grain. I guess my point is, I probably would not have figured this out if I had not started zoning. I would have just thought I, like my mom's dog Grommet, just have a sensitive tummy. Just another reason to Zone.
~bea

Hard-Bottomed Kicks.

I just ordered my first pair of weightlifting shoes! That's them ... in the pic ... I'm stoked! I noticed a huge difference when I transitioned from lifting in running shoes, to lifting in chucks. Its crazy how much more stable I felt...BUT I've recently noticed a few things that make me think that even chucks are not enough. Sometimes its hard to keep my weight in my heels, and since I have the chucks that just slide on (no laces) sometimes I feel like I'm missing some support--especially on big lifts. There are tons of articles on the crossfit main site forums, in the journal, etc..that talk about the benefits of weightlifting shoes. Google-ing the topic will get you some good results too...like this one: http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Weightlifting/WeightliftingShoes.html . But most importantly... Rip says weightlifting shoes. So weightlifting shoes it is... :) I'm hoping to have them in time for the seminar this weekend (THAT ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE GOING TO)...I'll make sure to let you know what I think.

*Mandy

Whole Foods Family Style Meals are the SH*T!

PEOPLE! Whole Foods now has these family style meals (look at the picture...DO IT!) for $14.99. That includes a meat (London Broil in this picture), 2 sides (potatoes and mixed grilled veggies here), and a tub-o-side salad with balsamic vinaigrette. This specific meal is pretty paleo-friendly (yeah, yeah, I know potatoes are "starchy tubers"...get over it.) AND makes about 8 3-block zone meals...FOR FIFTEEN FREAKIN' DOLLARS. It is tasty, healthy, easy, and CHEAP! I just tried the turkey meat loaf with sweet potatoes and broccoli for lunch...and I'm looking forward to trying out the london broil for dinner. Give it a try, and let me know what you think. HOLLER BACK WHOLE FOODS!
~Mandy

Recovery Supplements??

So, we've all heard about all of those things guys take to get huge... creatine, whey protein, etc. Well, considering my arms already ARE huge (yes, you know what I'm talking about, I don't need to see you do the gesture), I am less concerned about muscle building supplements. However, combining CrossFit with training for endurance events has left me with some very tired muscles. In addition the the obvious REST, I know there are supplements out there that people are taking to aid recovery. I've been doing glutamine, vitamin B, and carnitine. Anybody else heard of anything else?
~Allison

Lentils

What do you count a lentil as? They have 60g of carbs but 31g of dietary fiber and 26g of protein. that gives them a 29g carb to 26g protein ratio. Are they a complete block?
~bea

You are super fast

Wow, I just got home from Tyler's and you've already got this up and running...good job! I'll miss you at the 6:15am tomorrow.

The point of this blog

The idea for this blog came up over beers at Tyler's. A group of us from Crossfit Durham will use this to help each other with Zone information and general Crossfit stuff. The founding members of this blog are: Beatrice, Mandy, and Dori. If you would like to join, just ask and we will make it happen. In the mean time please feel free to drop comments or any tips you might have in the comment section.