More PR's at Pano Gym and running in the Vibrams

So Aaron and I are loving our new place and being so close to the gym. I am finally getting my arse into gear and getting to the gym more than once a week. I have no excuse now! I just have to jump on the gondola and I am there! Been pretty tired this week from all the work. I have definitely lost a bit of fitness since I have left home. 3months to go until our Iceland adventure so bring it on!

Tue 09.03.11

Pano Gym

- Warm Up -
Worm Crawl
2rds Official CrossFit Warm Up

Double Under Practice

- Strength -
Bench Press 5,5,5+ Load - 25,30,34(17)

I was really sore from the WOD on Monday. My back was really sore from having bad technique in my deadlifts so I only managed to get some bench press in today. Aaron said my grip in bench press was too narrow and I have to work on pointing my elbows out as I was working my triceps by bringing my elbows down next to my body. May be able to pump more reps out next time.. we will see.

Fri 11.03.11
Pano Gym

- Warm Up -
Worm Crawl
2rds Official CrossFit Warm Up

- Strength -
Deadlift 5,5,5+ Load - 45,50,59(12)
Back Squat 3,3,3+ Load - 40,49,54(11)

It wasnt a very clever idea sticking these two exercises together on the same day. I was pretty tired once I got to my back squats so next time will break them up so I have one exercise for the upper and lower body not two. Other than that my technique was much stronger on the deadlifts. My back was still sore from Monday's WOD but getting better.

Mon 14.03.11
Pano Gym

- Warm Up -
Worm Crawl
2rds Official CrossFit Warm Up

Double Under Practice

- Strength -
Deadlift 3,3,3+ Load - 49,55,60(18)
Bench Press 3,3,3+ Load - 29,34,39(8)

- WOD -
5rds for time of:
20x Back Squat @40kg
Handstand walk 20m
Time: 15:42

Felt a lot better yesterday. My back wasnt hurting anymore and I managed 18 reps at 60kg compared to 12 reps at 59kg on Friday (when my back was still sore). I changed my technique for bench press which burnt my pecks! I only managed 8 reps at 39kg which I was a little disappointed by but I can only get better from here.
The WOD was intense! I got it off the CrossFit mainsite from a few days ago. The handstand walks fatigued me very quickly. Aaron struggled a bit with these but progressed so far from when we were practising by the time we finished the WOD. My history with gymnastics definitely helped me with this move but still killed me. My back squat technique needs work as I had Aaron record my first round and I didnt break parrallel once. He mentioned this to me during the WOD and my squats improved but still needs some practise there..

Tue 15.03.11
Horsethief Parkade

- Warm Up -
3km Run
Time: 17:58

Max Double Unders in a row
Score: 56(PR)

- WOD -
3rds for time of:
400m run
50x Double Unders
Time: 10:49

Pretty happy with the PR on double unders in a row. I want to keep practising these to get my endurance in my arms up. They were burning by 40 reps and I just couldnt keep going after 56.
The 3km run was pretty slow. My feet were really hurting by the end of it. Running in vibrams on concrete isnt so fun. I am looking forward to California and doing some beach running. I think this will really help Aaron and I prepare for the trail run in Iceland because it is uneven terrain.
We got the WOD from our home gym CrossFit Darwin. I felt pretty slow in the WOD. Aaron finished in 7:18 so I was quite a fair way behind with 10:49. Hopefully I dont do too bad compared to the results back home which we will find out tomorrow.

Until next time!

A new look and our visit to CrossFit Canmore

So I have decided to change my blog around a little bit as we have decided it is too expensive to upkeep the paleo way of eating considering I am only earning $25 a week.. That doesn't get me very far with grass-fed organic meats.
We are trying to have as many paleo meals as posible but are having some rice and pasta dishes as it is more friendly on the budget. We aren't buying grass-fed meats either =( But are trying to buy the leanest possible meats we can find for a reasonable price.

This decision was made a bit over a week ago. It is amazing the changes I am noticing already. My skin is disgusting again, it is taking me forever to get to sleep again and I am not jumping out of bed in the morning anymore... just hitting the snooze button a lot. I also notice how much grains I used to eat before paleo and it grosses me out! Its made me very sad to have to go back from such a healthy way of life. But it is only temporary until we get home and start earning a better income. Anything is better than $25!!!

So my meals are consisting of mainly sandwiches for lunch, scrambled eggs for breakfast or a homemade fruit/egg/kale smoothie, and dinner has been an assortment of dishes from spaghetti bolognese, tomato and onion tuna pasta, chicken & veggies and salad..

I have been a bit slack with my posts for the past couple weeks trying to figure out what I am going to do with it so I have missed updating you on a few workouts I have done (not many which is also depressing me.. I miss my CrossFit Darwin gym! Can you tell I am a little home sick?)

Mon 17.01.11
Pano Gym

-Warm Up-
Max Double Unders in 2mins
79 reps! New PR yay!

-Strength-
Push Press 5,5,5,5,5 Load 25,29,34,40,45(fail)

-WOD-
"Elizabeth"
scaled to 15-9-6
Time: 16:20

I was pretty disappointed with my time for Elizabeth. I was just getting over a tummy bug and thought I was good until I started and felt like throwing up. So I scaled the reps to compensate. Still took me forever..

Wed 19.01.11
Pano Gym

-WOD -
"1/2 Nutts"
Pull Ups sub Jumping Pull Ups
Wall Balls sub Thruster @ 9kg
Deadlift @70kg sub 60kg
Time: 14:16

The pull up station at the Pano gym is free standing so it falls over if you attempt to do kipping pull ups so jumping pull ups it was! I felt pretty pumped after this WOD so will probably do it RX'd next time (when I have all the right equipment) It will be my first RX'd hero WOD if I do!

Wed 26.01.11

CrossFit Canmore

-Warm Up-
DROM back stretch
Shoulder disl w/PVC
Worm Crawl
Samson Stretch

-WOD-
3rds for time of:
10x DL @ 80kg (55kg)
50x Double Unders
Time: 4:50

-Stength-
Back Squat 5,5,5+ Load 35,40,45(30)

Aaron and I went on a road trip to Banff and we found a CrossFit affiliate in a nearby town (Canmore about 20mins drive) It was great getting to a CrossFit gym and having everything there. Aaron didn't want to leave. Greg (owner) was great and really welcoming. We will definitely be heading back there again. We picked up a CrossFit Canmore shirt and WOD book each so that's pretty exciting. Can't wait to head into America and visit all the other CrossFit affiliates!

Tummy Tantrums & Roasted Veggie Lasagna

My cookie consumption plus a few extra naughties wound me up in bed for the past few days with vomiting and other unwelcomed movements..

I managed to whip up a Roasted Vegetable Lasagna though! I got this of Jen's Gone Paleo. I probably won't make it again as it took forever to prep and cook! And I would prefer a meaty lasagna.. still a delicious dish just a pain in the butt if you dont have a tray big enough to roast everything in and a casserolle dish big enough to make your lasagna!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise

• 1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise
• 1 red capsicum, quartered and seeded
• 12 asparagus spears
• 10 thyme sprigs
• 1 tblsp rosemary
• 2 tblsp Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

SAUCE

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 tblsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tblsp oregano
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (I used a tsp Cayenne Pepper - will probably use less next time)
• 14oz can of whole tomatoes

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 204C/400F
• Slice vegetables
• Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme sprigs
• Roast zucchini, eggplant and capsicum for 20-25mins, until soft and slightly caramelised
• Remove zucchini and eggplant and set aside (I recommend putting a baking sheet under your veggies as mine stuck to the tray...)
• Add asparagus to pan and continue to roast with capsicum for 10mins
• While the veggies are roasting make the sauce
• Cook onions and garlic, in oil, over medium-high heat for 5mins
• Add red pepper flakes and oregano
• Stir to coat and saute for another 2-3mins
• Add tomato paste and stir to coat
• Add canned tomatoes and stir well
• Simmer on low for 15-20mins
• Once your vegetables are roasted and your sauce is ready, begin the layering process
• In a 9"x7" baking dish, add a thin layer of sauce and 3/4 roasted zucchini

• Add 3/4 eggplant
• Spread half of remaining sauce, the remaining zucchini and eggplant, all asparagus (I cut mine into bite-sized pieces) and capsicum (thinly sliced after roasting)

• Finish layering with remaining sauce and sprinkle with fresh basil (optional)
• Cover baking dish with lid or aluminium foil
• Bake at 375F/190C for 30mins
• Uncover and cook for another 30mins
• Let lasagna rest for 15mins before cutting

We made a few dishes with this lasagna and I was glad it lasted a few days. Aaron ate it for tea with a mate and they added some chicken. We also ate it for breakfast with some eggs. And I ate it the following night with some leftover spaghetti squash (YUM!)

I haven't done any WODs for a week (I feel so slack!) but want to give my body a chance to recover. I am feeling pretty good today. Food is staying in, no stomach cramps and the bloating has gone yay! Plan on going to the gym with Aaron this afternoon to do a CrossFit Darwin WOD. Dont know what one yet but most definitely one with the oly bar :)
We had pizza two nights ago though and left overs with some eggplant parmigiana last night and I had more bloating and a massive headache that kept waking me up. I have also been having trouble sleeping the past few nights which I am wondering if its due to my poor eating or illness.. probably both.. AND to add to that I got two big ass blind pimples yesterday which I havent had since I started paleo. Grains and dairy and sugar are the devil!

So for all of you who are tempted to reach for that cookie, pizza slice, protein bar!... its not worth whats around the corner! Trust me!

Eat Healthy, Feel Healthy, Live Healthy =)

Whole30 Challenge and my shopping list

Aaron keeps pestering me about what my New Years resolutions are and I have decided that my persistent visits to the cookie jar needs to stop. Hence why I am starting the Whole30 Challenge today! I have read a lot about this challenge since I started on the Paleo road and was intrigued by it. The aim is to cleanse your body of the dirty foods we eat these days such as sugar, grains, legumes and dairy. So NO cookies, NO peanut butter, NO ice cream and definitely NO chocolate. As good as I have been making my Paleo meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I waste my hard work by snacking on a cookie... or two.. or sometimes three... I decided this Challenge will be a great way for me to say no to these nasty treats and to stick to my goal of being grain and sugar free! There are hundreds of other people doing the Whole30 Challenge so I am constantly motivated by their comments on meals they have been eating or troubles and cravings they have been having. A common one was headaches which I noticed I had chronically when I started Paleo. I thought it may have been the change in the weather but there you go.  They are gone now though thank goodness! Lasted about one week!

I am going grocery shopping so I am all set for healthy Whole30 eating. My list is quite massive but I plan on making the below meals which will last me hopefully over a week but I have to feed Aaron as well who is a bottomless pit so see how we go..

Chicken with Squash & Salsa
Chicken, Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya
Flank Steak with Spinach
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Sausage & Vegetable stuffed Squash
Salmon Chowder
Stuffed Capsicum
Prawn, Sausage & Zucchini Casserole

These will be for dinner and hopefully left over for lunch. Aaron is starting to ease off the cereal in the morning so I am now buying more eggs (a 60 pack which lasts us the fortnight and a bit longer) I like to boil some up as a snack for when hunger strikes! 

I will be posting the recipes for the above meals and how they went in the coming weeks as I have not tried most of them. They look amazing though!

My Paleo Diet book arrived today! Can't wait to get stuck into that tonight! Will let you know if I learn anything knew!

I dragged myself to the gym yesterday to do the CrossFit Darwin WOD.

I found my 3RM for Front Squats which was challenging as everything is in pounds and the power rack was being used so Aaron had to clean the bar off the floor for me then I grabbed it off him. Unco! I ended up getting 55kg as when I tried 60kg I couldn't make it up on my second rep. Bit disappointed with that considering my 1RM is 65kg.

The CFD WOD was pretty hard as I haven't used the Oly bar for over one month. We were doing Hang Power Cleans which aren't my specialty. I really want to work on my Olympic lifts as I haven't really done them before and they are definitely a weak spot. There you go Aaron, another New Years Resolution :)
Along with the HPC we were doing burpees which tire me out SO quickly! But I made it through with an ok time. I was aiming for below 4mins but that is something I can work on.

- Warm Up -
Burgener Warm Up
5x Front Squat @30kg
5x Front Squat @40kg

- Strength -
Find 3RM Front Squat:
3x 50kg
3x 55kg
1x 60kg
3RM: 55kg

- WOD -
 4rds for time of:
7x Hang Power Clean @30kg
10x Burpees
Time: 4:20

Eat Healthy, Feel Healthy, Live Healthy!

Christmas Naughtiness..

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Was anyone else naughty over Christmas with all the tempting turkey stuffing, cheesecakes, pastries and much much more?! I was =(

I made my first turkey though and it was amazing! I made it gluten free as one of the girls that was going to our Christmas dinner was Coeliac. It turned out great! I was most impressed with myself =D
We had lots on the menu from zucchini frittas with dahl (delicious), beef wellington, brownies and icecream (I may have got sucked into these...) and lots of salad and veggies. It was amazing! A great way to enjoy Christmas with a bunch of girls, on a mountain, in Canada! It wasnt feeling very Christmasy until we had our dinner. Too much work and no play..

I have been working split shifts this week and haven't had the chance to really cook anything =( Aaron has been Master Chef the past few days and made amazing stuffed capsicum and burgers with the left overs which I have been eating for breakfast with egg, avocado and tomato. So good!!!! I have been eating my dinners at work as I dont knock off until around 10 or 11pm. I usually opt for the wild salmon as it is the most paleo item on the menu. I had lamb shanks last night and the pork tenderloin the night before. And I have been pretty good taking my banana, apple and two mandarins to work to snack on during the day. However, the deli next door make these AMAZING cookies which I really should stop eating....

I am feeling pretty crap after this past week of non-paleo foods and am really noticing the difference as I have been suffering severe bloating and my pimples are back =( So I have to work on my snacks during the day as they tend to wander to the cookies or a muesli bar. I am always good with my breakfast as I have all my paleo foods at home but its when I am at work constantly rushing around serving and never sitting down that I go for the easy snack option of a cookie which I can pick at... Not good enough.. I have bought the mandarins now which I peel before work and leave on the counter at the back so I can pick at one of those every now and then which seems to be working.  My lunches have been ok if I come home during my split shift and get something to eat. The dinners are hard as I dont know what exact ingredients are in the dish or what is used to prepare them i.e. oil, butter, etc. and a lot of the meals have mashed potato or are covered in bread crumbs or have a creamy sauce or gravy over it... There is no fridge for me to put a packed dinner in so its my only choice if I want to eat dinner before midnight..
I haven't done many workouts over the past two weeks. Three actually and I am starting to see the consequences! Tighter jeans =(

This work out we did outside and it was -18C! I am not a big fan of working out in the cold as it stuffs up your lungs and you have a numb cough for days afterwards. I used a wooden block to do my clusters which Aaron found in the woods. It was pretty awkward but still did the job.

29 Dec 2010
-WOD-
AMRAP in 20min of:
200m Run, uphill
10x Cluster with 15kg wood block
Score- 6rds + 100m of run

I got both these workouts off Crossfit Darwin site. My gym which I miss SO much!

26 Dec 2010
-WOD-
Tabata: 8rds of 20sec work + 10sec rest
Push Ups - 10
Sit Ups - 10
Ring Dips (assisted) - 7
Burpees - 6
Total - 33

This next workout is from the Crossfit Tallahassee Offsite WOD page. It is like the song '12 Days of Christmas'. Goes like this; 1 rep jumping jack; 2 reps box jumps, 1 rep jumping jack; 3 reps pop-ups, 2 box jumps, 1 jumping jack; 4 diamond push-ups, 3 pop-ups, 2 box jumps, 1 jumping jack.
Go to the next number, perform that number of reps of that item then count your way back down to the first item (jumping jacks).  Continue this pattern until you get to number 12, then count all the down to 1 for the last time. Very exhausting..

25 Dec 2010
12 Days of Christmas
1 Jumping Jack
2 Box Jumps (I used an arm chair of a couch)
3 Pop-ups (this is a burpee without the push-up, squat, plank, return, then jump up w/clap)
4 Diamond Push-ups
5 Split-Jumps
6 Sit-ups
7 Mountain Climbers
8 Airsquats
9 Push-ups
10 V-sit-ups
11 Burpees
12 Tuck Jumps
Time: 14:23

Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce

It is quite hard starting out on the Paleo diet when you are away from home and don't have your comfortable kitchen setup. I am working in Canada and am in a loft with 7 other people and we dont have many utensils or appliances. I have bought a few things but am just modifying recipes if they need a blender or something I dont have with me. I also dont have alot of my herbs =( so I have stocked up on a few but could still do with more. It is also hard as well because I am not familiar with the town yet so I have been asking around hoping to find a place that sells grass-fed meats and organic foods. I have been successful and found Grants who has delicious grass-fed meets and gluten free muesli bars with no added sugar so I can eat those yay! I also found Springs Organics which have fruit, vegetables and nuts and skincare yay! Both which are in downtown Invermere (about 25mins drive from where I am living)

I stumbled across an amazing blog Paleo Girls about two sisters who have been on Paleo and are enjoying its benefits. They also had lots of recipes which is really helping me stick to Paleo. Here's one of them.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Spaghetti Squash (I dont think we have these in Australia but I will be looking when I get home!)
• 1 tablespoon Oregano
• 1 tablespoon Basil
• Fresh Ground Pepper and Sea Salt, to taste

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 190C/375F
• The Spaghetti Squash needs to be cut in half and then placed face down into a baking dish
• Fill with enough water that 1/2inch of the spaghetti squash is immersed in water
• Cover with aluminium foil and place in preheated oven for 45mins until the squash is easily pieced with a paring knife
• Turn over the squash and recover with foil. Bake for another 15mins
• Remove from the oven, uncover and allow to cool

• Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard

• Use a fork to gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel and place the strands into a mixing bowl
• Add ingredients above and gently toss with tongs

MARINARA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 1/8 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 Onion-diced
• 2 cloves garlic-minced, chopped whatever..
• 1 tablespoom Basil
• 1 tablespoon Oregano
• Small tin of whole organic tomatoes with their juice
• Ground Pepper and Sea Salt to taste

METHOD

• Place olive oil, garlic and onion in a pan and cook until translucent and soft
• Add all other ingredients and let simmer - the longer the better. I let it simmer for about half an hour.

• Gently mix in with Spaghetti Squash

Viola! Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce and it tastes just like pasta! Defintely making this one again!

I ate this with a side of vegetables but you can use it with fish, chicken, meatballs whatever you like.

I did an "Annie" workout this morning from the Crossfit Darwin site. It is too cold to workout outside (about -5C) so I worked out in the Common Room of Staff Accommodation. It was a bit hard doing Double Unders because Aaron broke my rope, skipping outside in the winter weather and it snapped! Curious at the reason for why he was using my rope?? I used his which is a bit big so I had to wrap it around my hand which wasn't very comfortable. Pretty happy with my time though. I beat my last Annie workout by 20 seconds. Yeeha!

-Warm Up-
2rds of:
1x Stair Sprint
10x Sit Ups
10x Push Ups

-WOD-
"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10 reps for time:
Double Unders
Sit Ups
Time: 7:03

Eat Healthy, Feel Healthy, Live Healthy!

The newly discovered road to a Paleo Lifestyle

As a crossfiter at the Crossfit Darwin box, I was exposed to a new Paleo Challenge. A challenge of the food you eat, and if you have a slip than you get punished with burpees!! So what is Paleo? I have heard of Atkins, Jenny Craig and loads of other fad diets but never this one.

So what do you do when you want to find something out? Google it! I got this definition from Wikipedia. The modern dietary regimen known as the Paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various human species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture.

So what does that mean? Do I have to move to Africa to hunt lions and live off the land? Do I have to wear Flinstones clothes and walk around with a baton? No...

To follow a paleolithic diet you need to eat meat as it was back in the Stone Age. So not processed, not grain fed and not pumped with drugs. So organically grown grass-fed animals that are not confined to a tiny little spot in a dense shed. Free Range so to speak. That goes for fruit, vegetables, nuts, herbs and spices as well. Organic - no fertilises, no chemicals, no preservatives... all natural. There was no dairy back in this era and there were no processed grains i.e. bread, cereal, cookies, chocolate =( so none of that..

I thought this diet would be quite hard considering I like to use packet ingredients and just add it to my meat. And the fact that I have ALWAYS had cereal and milk for breakfast and also that I am probably the most sugar addicted person on the planet!! Bit of an overstatement I know..

But I wanted to give this diet a shot as I want to be a healthier person. I battle painful blind pimples, severe bloating and sometimes stomach upsets after meals. I also have crazy hayfever - constantly sneezing, itchy eyes and throat and runny nose. And to top it off I get indigestion (heart burn) accommodated by thousands of hiccups!

I have read many success stories of people following the Paleo way of life so there is no harm in trying right? Let's see how I go..