Today’s workout started with a 5k jog to Crossfit. To be honest I wasn’t really feeling it this morning but the run woke me up and shook the cobwebs away!
Today’s WOD was a long one and partnered. We had 40 mins to complete 2 rounds, and split the number of reps between 2. Exercises with the barbell were one after the other (usually completing 10 reps each then swapping) but the body weight moves were competed simultaneously.
For women the barbell was to be loaded with 25kg but I’m still struggling with pulling weight overhead so as there were power snatches I stuck to just the 15kg bar. I could have gone heavier for the others so I didn’t feel too challenged with the workout. So must start being harder on myself! It was fun partnering and the 40mins flew by. We finished on 37mins which wasn’t too shabby, I felt great after which was the main bonus and managed the 5k jog home ( although definitely a slower jog than the one there 🙂 )
I rounded off a great work out with a healthy breakfast. Protein smoothie with almond milk, some of my homemade paleo friendly granola (will post recipe shortly as its amazing, if I do say so myself) and a coconut crunch juice not shown in the pic but you can find the recipe here. Tasty, filing and nutritious!
All the way from my kitchen! I love sun, sea and sand and anything that reminds me of tropical holidays. Coconuts are high on the list as are pineapples so I was delighted when I discovered this juicy recipe that is so easy, sweet and refreshing.
Coconut Crunch
2 Organic Gala Apples
1 inch slice pineapple (skin removed)
250ml pure coconut water
Method: Pop the fruit through your juicer, mix in coconut water and serve in a glass over ice.
Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Coconut water is super hydrating and chock full of potassium and electrolytes. Apples are a fantastic source of immune boosting vitamin C.
…great day! I got a job!! Not that I didn’t have a job before (I was short term contract) but I now have a permanent, full time career job with a fabulous company. That is a good enough reason to be happy but what makes it so special is that I truly believe my positive attitude, focus and determination made it happen. I defined exactly what I wanted, took action, had gratitude for the good things I have and visualised how it would feel when I got my ideal job. Some days it wasn’t easy but I wouldn’t let it get me down and on those bad days I went for a run or did something fun to get myself back on track.
Some call it the law of attraction but whatever you call it I have proven to myself that a positive attitude and outlook goes a long way to bringing good things into your life. The key is to be consistent, we all have crappy days but its your choice to laugh in the face of adversity or let it drag you down. Feeling blue? Take action and do something to make yourself feel good. Exercise, a good film and spending time with family and friends works for me. Whatever works for you do it. Life is a lot easier when you live it with a smile on your face 🙂
125 ml your choice of milk (soy, dairy, nut, seed or rice)
120 g raisins
100 g rolled oats
Prepare
Preheat your oven to 200 C / 400 F and get all your ingredients and kitchen equipment out and ready. You’ll need a 2 mixing bowls (1 small & 1 large), scales, measuring spoons, spatula, knife or pastry cutter and a baking sheet.
Step 1
In the large bowl mix your flour, baking powder and cinnamon together, then with a knife or pastry cutter cut in the coconut oil. Once is nearly combined rub gently with your finger tips until it’s the consistency of breadcrumbs, then mix in the raisins.
Step 2
In the small bowl combine your milk of choice, agave nectar and vanilla and then gradually pour and mix into the dry ingredients until it’s a soft sticky dough.
Step 3
Sprinkle half the oats onto your work surface and place the dough on top. Flattendown slightly then sprinkle the rest of the oats on top and gently press down the dough until its about an inch thick. Cut into rounds with a cutter or squares with a sharp knife and place on your baking sheet greased with coconut oil and bakefor 20 minutes or until golden.
Makes 8-12 scones.
Enjoy with coconut butter, peanut butter or both!
NB: I am always on the hunt for healthy versions of my favourite comfort foods. This is a recipe I adapted from healthychef.com which is a great site with loads of gorgeous recipes, so far this is the first one I have tried. You can find the original recipe here.
Motivation is the driving force; a psychological one that compels or reinforces an action toward a desired goal and something I am seriously lacking today as this long week draws to an end. What better way to top off a long tiring week than with an intense Crossfit session – not! It’s a common conundrum, I love it and I know it’ll make me feel great but right now as my session start time looms in all honesty I can’t be bothered 🙂
When it comes to getting off the couch and exercising motivation doesn’t cut it alone. It’s actually discipline that should be your driving force as discipline is habitual and it’s consistent, not much thought goes into it you just ‘do it’. Motivation wanes and excuses like ‘I’ll start tomorrow’ creep in. My motivation is my goal to be fit and healthy but it’s the discipline of eating clean nutritious food and exercising regularly that will get me to my goal and more importantly maintain it.
The best way to get disciplined to take exercise is to schedule it into your diary like a meeting. My morning workout meetings are the best for me as it removes thinking out of the equation, the alarm goes of, I get up, get dressed and out the door and to the gym. Decide on a time off day that works for your schedule and stick to it, remembering that only engaging in consistent daily action will achieve results.
So no excuses…. Discipline + Action = Success. No motivation needed. I am off to CrossFit so I will see you on the other side!
It’s a great feeling when you wake up in the morning and the sun is shining, you jump out of bed into the shower, slap some shampoo into the palm of your hand and reach up to give your hair a good scrub then….oooch! Lifting your arms above your head is a painful, stiff struggle. Good morning is DOMS Day!
What on earth happened last night? You feel like you have just gone 12 rounds in your sleep with Rocky Balboa but there is no bruising, how could this be? Then the penny drops, it was a heavy shoulders day at Crossfit yesterday morning and you are suffering a bad case of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
DOMS is muscle pain, soreness and stiffness that can arise up to 48 hours after exercise. It usually occurs after switching up your routine or increasing the duration or intensity of your program. DOMS Day has been happening quite frequently for me since I have started Crossfit! DOMS may come as a shock the next day when even performing simple tasks suddenly become a pain and strain after a heavy weight session, but it is actually a good thing. It’s your body’s response to unusual exertion, and part of an adaption process that means your muscles are recovering and building and will ultimately bring you more stamina and strength! So there is true in the old cliché ‘no pain no gain’. This is why I secretly quite like DOMS as I know it means I have been working hard and challenging my body, but walking around like John Wayne is not a good look after a heavy legs work out so thankfully there are some solutions to speed up recovery.
Warm Up & Cool Down
Prevention is better than cure, before and after any work out make sure you warm up, cool down and stretch properly. Limber up before with a minimum of 5 minutes of skipping, jogging, jumping jacks or whatever you want to get your heart rate up and then have a good ole stretch and do the same at the end of your workout.
Foam Rolling
For a DIY deep tissue massage to ease aches and pains try foam rolling. See this article from FitSugar for tips and how to here.
Power Plates
I love vibration plates for stretching and massage and you can feel the effects fast. Just make sure you don’t just press start and jump on, as it may feel strange at first. Power plates are all about engaging your core so speak to your gym instructor to give you a demo to get you started.
Sauna
A hot sweaty sauna helps you rid your body of toxins and the heat increases your body temperature and circulation, which helps the body fight aches and pains. A sauna is a real treat for me after a gym session but don’t forget to drink plenty of water to replace fluid loss or you will feel groggy after.
Remember that while pushing your limits is a good thing but be very careful not to do take it too far. DOMS will ease in a few days at the most, but if it takes any longer than that or if you feel acute pain you may have sustained an injury so seek medical advice.
Since the release of the release of the documentary ‘Fat Sick and Nearly Dead’ loads of people seem to be going mad about juicing and I decided to jump on the bandwagon! Rather than fork out on an expensive juicer only to use it once I borrowed my Aunts for the weekend to see what the buzz was all about and I have to say I was very impressed with my efforts.
Juicing has many benefits such as supercharging your nutrient intake by providing your body with pure micronutrients, vitamins and enzymes. Some may find it difficult to chow down on a basket full of fruit and veg, but whizz it through your juicer and it’s a breeze. Using a juice fast to kick start a healthy eating regime can charge up your metabolism and give your body a break from all of the bad chemicals it has been subjected to from any processed foods you have eaten.
The cons are that it may take a bit of prepping and cleaning (but then so does cooking a proper meal). Juicers can be expensive; there are some cheap models but the sleeker easier to clean models are of course the most pricey.
Here are some easy and tasty recipes I tried. As with any healthy meal organic and fresh is always best!
Bugs Bunny Juice
4 Organic carrots
2 Organic Gala apples
1 lemon (rind removed)
Popeye Juice
2 large handfuls of Organic spinach
4 Organic carrots
2 Organic Gala apples
The juices were refreshing and filling and I will soon be having my own reboot and trying a 3 day juice fast soon as soon as I have a few days I can dedicate to it. For now I will be adding a fresh juice into my daily diet for an added vitamin boost. You can check out some more juice recipes from Joe Cross the maker of the ‘Fat Sick and Nearly Dead’ here.
Great start to my sunny Saturday. 10k round trip jog to my CrossFit class today. AMRAP’s this morning! Concentrating on shoulders we completed 3 different sets (with 3 min rest between each set) for a many rounds as possible in 6 mins starting with;
Set 1- weight 25kg
6 x Deadlift to overhead press
6 x Burpees (bounding over bar bar)
I completed 6 rounds and it was tough. I think I may have done 7 but I seem to loose the ability to count when I am concentrating on form and not passing out 🙂
Set 2 – 25kg bar bell
6 x Shoulder Press
6 x Pull ups
I am a lame ass and can’t even do one unassisted pull up 🙂 I thought I had some strength in my upper body but no, not as much as I thought! I am so looking forward to seeing how lifting heavy is going to improve my physique because I NEVER push myself as hard in the gym despite thinking I do. I managed 5 round with assisted pull ups. My goal for the next month is to complete at least 6 unassisted pull ups in on go!
Set 2 – 15kg plate
Ground to overhead press
100m sprint
I struggled with my technique with this one (and my counting!) could have pushed myself more and only managed 4 rounds. Overall, another cracking session and enjoying the feel good boost its given me. Off now to enjoy the sunshine and relax as I think I deserve it.
He’s my running buddy, he’s my pal, he’s a bit daft and I love him. Who is he? It’s our dog Mac 🙂 He is actually my brother’s dog so unfortunately I can’t say he is mine but I am an official babysitter for when my brother is off shore working so this evening I was on duty and we enjoyed a run round Arthur’s Seat. It’s great to be outdoors on a sunny day and to have my pace maker with me. As well as making you run faster having a pooch has a heap of other benefits too.
Dogs and Cardiovascular Health
Research has shown that owning a dog can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels. This is probably due to an increase in activity levels through walking your gorgeous wee (or big) mutt. I know that when I am on dog walking duty there is no way I could make excuses and not get out for a run around the park. It’s furry motivation and I’m improving my fitness and having fun at the same time.
Dogs and Anxiety
During periods of stress and crisis having a dog is a great comfort and company. They may not be able to fix your problems but they sure do cheer you up and give you a reason to get out and face the world. I am waiting for feedback on something at the moment (I will hopefully be able to reveal all soon) and I know that having Mac around has helped me to stop stressing over something that I have no controls over. The best time for a doggy cuddle is when he is sleepy and pooped after a long run!
Dogs and Loneliness
They are great companions, best friends, loyal and always there for you. It’s a great feeling to walk through the door and have someone so excited to see you that they want to jump up on you 🙂 Dogs may not be human but Mac is certainly an important and valued member of our family.
cocobela 