CrossFit

I was originally planning to do a Kairo update (don’t worry it’s still planned), but since my last post was enlisting folks to do theMid-Atlantic Tough Mudder with us, I figured I should probably do a post regarding what G$ and I are doing to prepare since running that damn race again without training is not an option!

In the middle of November last year, G$ and I signed up with a CrossFit gym – Trident CrossFit in Alexandria for anyone in the area.   

What’s CrossFit, you ask?  Only the most amazing workout you’ll ever experience.  Ha!  Well, that’s true, but to be more specific CrossFit a combination of strength and cardio exercises, including push-ups, pull-ups, abs, box jumps, burpees, rowing, running, lunges, squats, and weight lifting (I wont even get into the names of the weight lifting moves, since they meant nothing to be before I started). 

And I think the best way to summarize my opinion on CrossFit: I have never enjoyed working out so much since high school sports, you know, when it really didn’t even feel like working out.  Now that’s saying a lot since it’s been almost 9 years since high school (and man that makes me feel old...).

How we got started?  A bunch of people I work with are huge CrossFit fan, some having been doing it for 4+ years.  I’ll admit, I was intrigued, but slightly deterred by the price.  I don’t want to get into numbers here, but let’s just say it’s comparable to small group personal training classes; therefore, not super cheap.  But, since I had tried almost everything to get in shape – including signing up for crazy runs in hopes that it would encourage me to run/train – to no avail, it was time to try something different.  And from what I heard, CrossFit was just the thing I needed, which was confirmed when G$ and I were channel surfing and came across the CrossFit Games on ESPN.  We watched and I was hooked – the competitive nature, the variety of workouts, and the push of having to give my all since others would be watching.   Since I’m the queen of justifying spending money, I figured if we tried it and liked it, the mere fact that I would actually be working out on a regular basis for the first time in 9 years, well, that’s probably worth the money, right?  So we bit the bullet and added the CrossFit payment (which is discounted since we get a couples rate) into our monthly budget. 

Even just in a few months, I’ve noticed:

• Muuuch better sleep.  I really only noticed this recently.  G$ and I were sick, so the past few weeks, my attendance was not great since I was opting to sleep in to prevent getting sick again.  Well this week, I got back on the horse and I could instantly tell that my sleep was improved – you know, you don’t realize the change until it goes back to bad.  Even with poop head XX Kairo wakes up in the middle of the night, it’s much easier for me to fall back asleep.  Ahhhh, nothing beats a great night of sleep. 
• All around feeling better, more awake, more energy.
• My slightly tight work pants are fitting much better due to losing some weight and body fat.  As many of you know, I lost a ton of weight about a year ago due to the stress of working crazy hours and not eating much – to the point where all my work pants were crazy loose, so I had to make a few purchases mid-winter last year.  Well, I gained a good amount of that back, but was still able to fit into the smaller sized pants, just that they were slightly snug and I didn’t feel comfortable tucking in button downs anymore.  I know, it’s a shocker, when you have more free time, eating is a little easier to do… :) So it’s been very nice to see some improvements in that department.  I know there is certainly room for more improvements, but I feel that seeing some progress is huge. 

What's a CrossFit Workout Like?

Amazing.  :)  The workouts themselves are usually not super long – anywhere from 7-25 minutes, but we are usually at the gym for about an hour with the warm-up, form skills work, lifting, workout, and cool down.  It usually plays out like this:  we arrive and start with a warm-up, which G$ and I joke is hardly a warm up, since we are breathing heavy and sweating within minutes.  Then if some sort of weight lifting is included in the workout, we do some skills work to ensure our form is good for the lifts, then we practice the lifts with weights while the trainers critique our form, then we usually do 3-5 sets with a gradual increase in weight – 75%, 85%, and 95% of your one rep max.  Then, as a group, the trainer reviews the WOD – or Workout of the Day (examples below).  Then we find some space, get our gear together (boxes, barbells, etc.).  Then the timer starts and we kick our own butt for 7-25 minutes depending on the workout.  And when I say "kick our own butt" I mean it - I am  usually dying and breathing heavy and soooo sweaty by the end of the workout.  Then we re-group and stretch to cool down.    

To give you an idea of what a CrossFit WOD is like, below are a few examples:

 

Example #1

5 min AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)

 - Suicide sprint (100 yards)

 - 12 Box jumps (20 inches for males, 20 inches for females) 

2 min rest –shortest 2 minutes ever!

5 min AMRAP

 - 250m Row

 - 15 Kettle Bell Swings (I did 26 pounds)   

Then you post the number of rounds you were able to complete on the board.   

After posting our results for this one, we re-grouped in the area where we usually stretch, only to be faked out with the treat of an additional four minutes of work:  one minute of max effort at each “station” – sprints, box jumps, kettle bell swings, rowing.  Fun, fun!

 Example #2 

For Time:

 - 50 Push Presses – weighted barbell being pushed over your head, 50 times

 - 40 Burpees – if you don’t know what a burpee is, you don’t know what pain is.  I loathe burpees. 

 - 30 Row (calories)

 - 20 Wall Balls – Squatting and throwing a weighted ball into the air

Then you post your time on the board. 

Apparently, I'm not the only one who hates them!

T-Shirt from here

Sounds like fun, huh?!  :)  As I enthusiastically mentioned before, I love it!  I will periodically keep everyone posted on how things are going.  G$ and I have a scale now that measures body fat percentage, so I’m trying to get into a routine of tracking weight and body fat percentage on a weekly basis.  Nothing is more motivating than seeing results.

My Goals:

• Continuing to go at least 3 times a week (hopefully 4)
• Unassisted wall climb
• Pull-Ups
• To feel comfortable in a two piece bathing suit this summer

Happy Friday!  Hope everyone has a great weekend! 
 

<3

K$

Anyone Up For A Challenge: Tough Mudder Mid-Atlantic Sign-Ups!

It's official, G$ and I are insane and have signed up for another Tough Mudder race for Saturday, September 8.  This year's event is on a farm (read: NO SKI SLOPES), about an hour northwest of DC.  Click the link for more information and if interested, let us know and we can give you the password to join our team, which I assume ensures we all start at the same time!  You have until February 7 to sign up before the price increases.  Even though it sounds super crazy, just remember, G$ and I dragged ourselves through the finish line enthusiastically finished it last year without training.  Not that I would recommend anyone doing that, I just mean to say, although it is a badass race, if I can do it, I know most of you can do it too!    

Are you tough enough!?  

Europe Part 2: Paris

Where did I leave off?!  Oh yes, our last day in London.  Well, we woke up and finally were up, showered, and dressed in time for the free breakfast (thanks Accenture for making me a Hilton Gold member).  And man, did we regret being lazy in the morning and missing the amazing spread!?  I couldn't believe the free breakfast was so good.  Oh well... we will blame the jet lag. 

We then hopped in a cab to the train station to catch a train to take us to Paris via the chunnel!  G$ and I (well more G$) were very excited to take a train through the chunnel.  Was it that exciting?  Nope, not at all (in my opinion) and maybe that's because I'm jaded from over a year of training up to Philadelphia or New York City for work (again, thanks Accenture).

Once we arrived in France, we took a taxi to our hotel, which was a little further out from central Paris, but since it was right on both a metro and rail line, it made getting into the heart of Paris super easy.  This is where I'll go on my speel about how absolutely wonderful Paris's public transportation system is.  They had metro lines all across the city and the trains came about ever three minutes even at night!  I know, everyone in DC is shocked, I had a ten minute metro wait just last week during rush hour.  Paris's system really put DC to shame (not that it's a difficult task to do so).

Once we checked into the hotel, we headed to see the Arc de Triomphe, which was within walking distance of our hotel.   Saw some street dancers performing outside the metro stop.  Then metroed into central Paris.

Croissants.  Ahhhh, French croissants.  Need I say more?!  We ate entirely too many, but boy were they delicoius.  I am personally more favorable to the chocolate filled ones, also known as Pain Au Chocolat, because who wouldn't want chocolatey goodness inside their buttery goodness?  :)

Sunset with the Eiffel Tower

After eating a late lunch, we walked to Notre Dame, where we waited in line to get in, once on the inside, walked around the outer perimeter, which was open to tourists, then found a seat for an evening Sunday mass. 

View from Outside

Inside Shot

Gargoyles

On our first night in our hotel, we stopped by the concierge desk and ask about the best way to get tickets to The Louvre and the concierge man said, well right here.  So we paid for the tickets in advance, which ended up being one of the best decisions of the trip!  The Louvre was closed on Mondays, so we had planned to go on Tuesday.  The Louvre has two entrances - one underground and then the infamous pyramid.  We came in underground from the train and saw that the line was looong. 

We had planned to grab a quick bite at a street vendor, but since we were already underground, we stopped at the most convenient place, which was sadly Starbucks.  And it will likely be the most memorable Starbucks trips we've ever taken.  First off, have I mentioned I don't speak French?  And for those who know me, I have been known to be a little awkward from time to time, especially when I'm uncomfortable (shocker, right?).  Well, I butchered my order.  I knew the basics in French: hello, thanks, please, but neglected to learn, I'll have, or may I please have.  Then the barista responded with a question, and I had no. idea. what. she. said.  Of course, G$ was just standing by watching me struggle.  Then she asked if we spoke English, then asked the question in English, but due to the accent, I still couldn't understand her.  Finally, I figured out if she was asking if we were staying or going.  Whoops.  Then it was time to pay and this is where this Starbucks trip becomes so memborable.  G$ and I ordered coffees and breakfast sandwiches and the grand total came to over 20 Euros!  Which if you do the exchange, was about a $30 breakfast at Starbucks!  My coffee alone (a Caramel Macchiato) was about $8! 


Then it was off to get in line.  We found the end, but then asked a lady who worked there and she said that with our tickets, we could go upstairs to the pyramid and didn't have to wait in line!  Sweeeeet!  So we made our way out to the inner courtyard with the pyramid and basically just walked right up, showed our tickets, and were inside! 

Yes, yes we did. :)

Our first order of business was seeing the Mona Lisa.  Don't get me wrong, I know how famous this painting is, but I just wasn't wowed.  For one thing, it was well protected behind a glass barrier and then it was roped off so you couldn't even get that close.  Not to mention, the lines and crowd.  G$ and I talked about it afterwards and came to the conclusion that with the internet and books available in this day of age, we both have already been able to see the Mona Lisa, and more up close and personal online than were were in person.  So, it was cool to say we did it and maybe my lack of excitement was also in part from not being a super art person, but I wasn't overly impressed. 

A horrible picture of me with the Mona Lisa in the background.  

 Then we spent a couple hours wandering around the rest of the Louvre and boy was it a huge museum!  Saw a lot of pretty incredible pieces!  Took a ton of pictures, which I will spare you, with the exception of this little gem (pun intended):

Princess Kara.

The Pariasan cafe.  I loooved it.  I had so much fun sitting outside in the cafes, eating a relaxing (and by relaxing, I mean sloooow service) meal with a bottle of wine.  Unfortunately, I didn't take a single picture of a cafe.  :(

Since our vacation was taken almost three months ago, I honestly cannot remember which day we went to see the Panthéon (not to be confused with the Pantheon in Rome). 

On our last day, we decided to take the train out to Versailles.  Or as G$ would call it "Ver-Suck."  In Versailles defense, it was raining that day and we had to wait in a loooooong line in pouring rain.  We got off the train and luckily were able to snag a Paris umbrella from a shop, but our umbrella didn't quite open all the way, so water accumulated on the top, then you would move and the umbrella would dump water down your side or back.  By the time we got inside, one entire side of my jacket was completed drenched.  We did the inside tour, but since it was raining, we opted not to walk through the millions of gardens, which was kind of a shame. 

Me in the Sun Room.

We had saved the best for last by planning to go up in the Eiffel Tower at night on our last day there.  

Yes, he did. :)

I think I may have told G$ I wouldn't put this little mishap on the blog, but since everything turned out just fine, I think it's fine to share.  While we were in London, we G$ went online and bought tickets to go up in the Eiffel Tower on our last evening there.  We had tickets for 5:30.  After our long day of Versailles and walking, we had ended up at the Eiffel Tower early (around 4ish) and were just hanging out waiting.  We were taking in everything, especially the long lines to buy the tickets and we said to each other, "Definitely was smart for us to buy these in advance."  The ticket holder line wasn't really even a line.  Since we were there early, we asked the ticket collectors if it was possible to go up early, but they said no dice.  5:30 finally came around, so we get into our short line for ticket holders, give the collector our tickets, only to hear him say, these tickets are for 6:30, not 5:30.  WHAT?!?!  We had somehow gotten it in our heads that our tickets were for 5:30.  If this was my fault, it must have been due to the tickets being in military time.  What's G$'s excuse?!  :)  At this point, the sun is going down and it's getting colder.  Neither of us is wearing a warm enough jacket to be out at night, so we opt to quickly run back to the hotel to change since we now had an hour to kill.  Back at the Eiffel Tower at 6:30, we again go to our short line for tickets holders, give the collector our tickets, only to hear him say, these are for tomorrow night.  WHAT!?!?!  G$ bought them for the wrong day!  And, even worse, for a day that we won't even be in Paris!!  Ugh.  We couldn't NOT go up in the Eiffel Tower while in Paris!  So... you know that line that we were both so glad we had planned ahead and bought tickets in advance so we could avoid it?  Yup, that where we had to park it!  Since it was dinner time, the ticket line was definitely shorter than it had been earlier in the day, so all in all, it probably only put us back about 30 or so minutes.  Not too shabby.  So we took the elevator up to the second platform, then another elevator to the top, peaked around outside for a bit (it was freezing)...

If you can't read it, it says "Washington 6,175 km"

Quick shot with the Paris lights in the back

Me fake looking through the telescope.

Then we elevatored back down to the second platform.  At this point, we opted to walk down to the first platform (which was only accessible via the stairs).  While walking down, we saw signs for the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower and decided that it was totally worth spending a little bit more on dinner that night to eat in the Eiffel Tower.  Plus it was November 1, five days before our one-year anniversary, so we called it our anniversary dinner.  The dinner started with a glass of champagne while we were reviewing the menu.  While reading it, I noticed they had a little line at the bottom saying that they only accept Visas and American Express cards.  I started freaking out - we only had a MasterCard!  Before ordering, we verified with the server and all was ok.  The meal was definitely more on the extravagant side than G$'s and my normal means, but it was nice to end our great vacation with something like that!

The next day we woke up, took a cab to the airport, and had pretty uneventful plane ride home.  We I really lucked out in that we had the entire row to ourselves, which ended up being a blessing in disguise since the headphone jack for the TV in the back of the seat in front of us was broken on tmy assigned seat.  Luckily, I realized this and was able to move to the aisle seat before the plan took off - phew!  I'm sure the plane ride would have seemed muuuuch longer without being able to watch three movies.  Yup, I said three.  Ha!  I got in some girly movies that G$ isn't always the biggest fan of!

And there you have it, a quick summary of the final leg of our Europe trip! 

In summary: we loooved Paris and would definitely go back there in the future!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!


<3
K$

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

I, unlike everyone else in blogland (yes, I purposely did not use the term 'blogosphere'), did not do a Merry Christmas or Happy New Year post.  And frankly, I doubt many of my faithful readers are surprised, since I'm not usually on top of my posts... But, I did want to post a quick recap on a few holiday related items before we got too far into 2012. 

First off, our Christmas card!  I didn't order enough cards, so if you got one, consider yourself lucky.  If you didn't, well, neither did I, meaning I didn't save one for myself...  So I wanted to post a digital copy of our card on the ole blog so I could have it stored as a keepsake.  Lame, I know.  Plus apparently that's just what you do when you have a blog.  



We received mixed feedback on the picture we chose for the front.  I'll be honest, it probably wasn't my first choice, but...

• I wanted to do a more recent picture of Kairo, rather than a puppy picture
• We didn't have many super cute headshots of Kairo while he was older and a more landscape-y full body shot didn't work as well with the card layout (I even brought my camera hiking to get a cute picture of Kairo perched on a giant log, but it just didn't pan out...)
• I was down to the wire on placing the order before my Groupon expired

Thus... we got what some thought was cute, while others thought was weird face shot of the K-Man.  Personally, I love his expression.  It's so Kairo.  His inquisitive look with his lip caught on his teeth.  Awww, makes me smile just thinking about it.  The back consisted of a two smaller pics of Kairo as a puppy and then one of G$ and I with the Eiffel Tower behind us (don't worry, you'll see that picture when I recap Part 2 of our Europe trip).  

Christmas was great!  The whole long weekend was unseasonably warm - in the 60s - which was absolutely wonderful! 

On Christmas Eve Eve, Kairo and I met my Mom, Hunter, and Abby to go hiking at Hemlock (remember the ropes course when we were in school!), which is right near their house.  I didn't bring my phone or my camera, so no pictures to share there, but Kairo enjoyed hiking with other dogs and I enjoyed some quality mother-daughter time with my momma.  :)  After hiking, we went back to my parents' house for lunch and hanging out.  And even had the opportunity of meeting my parents' neighbors who have a 4 month old Vizsla named Otto.  He was so cute and little.  Really hard to believe Kairo was the little only a few months ago! 

We spent Christmas Eve at my parents' house, doing a brunch then lounging around with the family in a very relaxed setting, which I loved.  My brothers and I didn't exchange gifts this year (which made Christmas shopping a lot easier!  And together the kids bought my parents a group gift, so the present opening mainly consisted of watching Brandon, my nephew.  And as most children are, he was more interested in the paper than the presents!  So cute!  The best part of Christmas was that there was no rushing to get to another family's house, no feeling like it was getting late, it was perfect.  We even managed to get an impromptu family picture taken:




Christmas Day was spent with G$'s family.  We grabbed a quick bite at G$'s parents' house (homemade cinnamon rolls, yum!), then went to church.  After church, G$ and I swung home, changed, picked up Kairo and headed back to G$'s parents' house for present opening, walking/playing with Kairo outside, followed by an early dinner and an overexcited (ok, at least on my part) game of CatchPhrase.  What's my favorite 2011 Christmas gift you ask!?  Why it's the newest addition to my desk at work from G$'s brother:



Yes, a ceramic squirrel skull with gold teeth!

G$ and I went all out and super crazy for New Year's Eve this year... Ha!   Come on, you guys know us...  We didn't do anything. :)  Well, anything out of the ordinary that is. 

Best wishes for 2012!

<3
 K$