On Ramp Day 1

So not only am I trying out CrossFit, but I talked my husband Matt into it too.  After a little pressure I talked him into at least trying the On Ramp. 

For those not in the know... the On Ramp is 6 hour long classes where you learn the concepts and moves behind Crossfit. 

Last night was our first On Ramp.  Matt was having the same nerves I was Saturday morning and I was nervous for him as well.  While I've had two years of almost daily exercise under my belt, he has not. 

We got there and Matt signed the waivers and we waited for the other On Rampers, which checking out an adorable baby watching his or her Dad finishing up and watching one of the Coaches do the end of her WOD and thinking if in a year I can be a fraction of that I'm sold!

For the On Ramp Matt, Cindy and Laura took us through a warm up then the WOD.  The warm up was an 800 meter (up hill) jog, followed by holding a pvc pipe and pushing it over your head and down 20 times, then 10 pushups, 20 sit ups and 10 supermans, then repeat.

For the record, I suck at pushups.  I still sucked at pushups last night.  Matt on the other hand can do 10 while I think about doing one. I guess we know one thing I'll be working on, a lot.

After the warm up was done we went on to our WOD.

WOD - On Ramp 7-23-12
Tabata Squats

The Tabata Squats were strict squats where we did as many as we could in 20 seconds then rested for 10 seconds then repeated for 8 reps.  The challenging part I had here (besides the fact it hurt) was that when we were learning the technique we were holding much longer in the squat position and it was until the last reps I realized I should be popping up quicker.  The good news is my form was good, the bad news is my reps could have been better.  I did 7 for the first 5 rounds, then 8, 9 & 10 in the last three. At least it's a starting point.

Next up we learned the press.  I had never done anything like that so I was nervous.  We started learning form with the PVC bars, then went over to the racks.  Next we did it with just the bar (45lbs mind you) and no weight.  That was heavy!! But fun.  Next up the Coach added 20lbs.  That was a bit much for me, but the guys (Matt and Mike) make it look like cake.  For the next rep I went down to 15lbs on, total of 60lbs and that was ok.  They guys upped their weights.  For my final round it felt good and I think I was starting to figure it out.

After we finished that we stretched. 

All in all a good experience for me.  Matt seemed to enjoy it by the end and we're ready for more tomorrow night.

This morning I hit up the cardio portion of Jazzercise to move a bit and it felt great!

I won

Today I officially won the Jazz it Off competition.  While it was great.  I'm scared for what is to come.  Will I continue to take weight off?  Will it be at the same rate?  Will I ever run?

For so long I've been a person of commitments to myself that never really came to fruition.  Last year I took a couple of vacation days that would have otherwise gone back to the company for myself.  Not my sons, not my husband... for me!  This year I've done two better at least.  My first... I took off with a girlfriend.  We went to a vineyard and had the best time EVER!!!  My second... I ended up exchanging shoes at Fleet Feet and then made a couple of other stops.

I was SUPER nervous going into Fleet Feet.  But the shoes just didn't feel right.  They have a 30 day return policy and in the end I ended up going back.  The sale associate there was wonderful.  I feel confident that he has placed me in the right thing to work with my running.  I may need an alternative for Jazzercise, but it's a start.

I also ran today.  According to my android app I ran an 11.33 mile.  Good, Bad who knows, we'll see when I do it again.  It was one of my best times yet.  But there were more in between stops.  But if I can keep that pace I could, maybe, possbily do a half marathon at some point in my life?!!?

I also won Jazz it Off (45lbs against a total of 30 people loosing 157 (and I'm included int hat)).  I'm proud of Me!  and that's all that matters... and my Dad says he's proud of me!!!

Finding my groove

I've been an on and off dieter most of my life and was negotiating with myself to just accept the foodie within (I love love love to cook and bake) when I saw on Facebook that Jazzercise was starting a Jazz it off competition.  I'd been doing Jazzercise since August and had admittedly gotten a little lax after a few too many out of town trips in November / December got me out of my groove.  That and dieting with Jazzercise was just not happening.  I figured it would be good to give it a shot so on the last day (or what I thought was the last day to sign up) after my 6am class I went in and told the instructor I'd give it a go.

Jazz it off is Jazzercise's version of Biggest Looser.  Weekly weigh in, the person with the highest percentage of weight loss wins a prize out of the prize closet (left over promo's and other good stuff) and then at the end of the 12 weeks the Biggest Looser gets $200.


So the program started on March 7th, but that was my 5 year old's 5th birthday and my 18 month's old Aednoid / Tube Surgery so I technically say I started March 8th.  I went in for my initial embarrassing weigh in on Tuesday morning at 6am (because there was no way I was weighing in at my 4:45pm class after a day of eating!).  The following week I was down 7.4lbs and I was positive I'd be the Biggest Looser that week... but I wasn't.  Someone went down over 4% of their body weight (I was only 2.89%).  It was at that point that I made it my goal to at least win one week as the Biggest Looser.  By the 3rd week I finally did it. I remember getting the IM from my sister-in-law saying "You WON!!!".  Now almost twelve weeks later (two more days till it's over) I've won 5 or 6 weeks and am happy to report I'm down 41.6lbs (hopefully more at tomorrow's weigh in.