Week 27 and 28

As with many pregnant women, with our growing bellies and urge to keep up with our fitness routines, what we hear almost every day is "Listen to your body."

What "listening to my body" has meant to me:
-When  get out of breath, slow down and catch my breath.
-If it feel too heavy, don't pick it up. (Cut all my weights in half, no max reps)
-If it hurts, don't do it anymore. (Running, double unders, jump squats)
-If  I have a risk of falling, scale. (running backwards, box jumps)
-Sleep in and don't go to the gym because I am tired and according to the world I am "NEVER GOING TO SLEEP AGAIN, EVER!!!" 

So basically "listening to my body" has been nothing, but restricting. Which is fine, but what I learned this past week while listening to my body, truly amazed me. The first thing I did when I started crossfitting while pregnant was scale back. I quit basing my rep scheme on my previous one rep max percentage and just did what felt good that day. Rarely did I squat more than 105#, clean more than 95# or push press more than 65#. Workouts typically involve 65# and under and I usually skipped "test day."

Last week I decided to go to back squat test day because I really liked the workout. I figured it would be fun to see what I could squat at 7 months pregnant, because I haven't tested in the last 6 months. Well, I started out warming up at 65# and figured I would get to 145# or so. I did 145# for three reps and figured, why not keep going? So I did and I eventually got up to a 175# back squat which matches what my pre-pregnancy 1 rep max was! I was so incredibly proud of myself and was on fire all day. How was this possible? My training has been so light, I am 7 months pregnant and I assumed I was getting weaker. LIstening to my body made me achieve what I never thought was possible. I felt good that day. I felt strong. I took proper breaks in between reps and lifted, with good form might I add, what I did at my peak fitness level. There IS a PR in pregnancy!

This made me really dig into everytime I have ever failed a 1 rep max attempt. I have tried for 180 and 185 before and kicked myself all day because I didn't reach it. I blamed it on months of "poor training" and inability to get better. Looking back, it just wasn't my day. I was probably strong enough to achieve a high max, but not that day. I bet if I went back 2 days later and tried again, I probably would have done it. It may be a mental thing, it may be a diet thing, it may be a strength thing, but when it comes down to it, all three need to come together in order to achieve more. I am happy I listened to my body that day because it taught me a very valuable lesson that I may have never learned.

Now, I wanted to shout this from the mountain tops, but I could only imagine the texts and calls I would be getting from my sweet, worried family about the health of me and my baby. Again, I listened to my body, thought about the baby, and made the decision to go a little extra. I have been professionally trained to weight lift for two years and I know when I am pushing my limits. Honestly, I really wanted to try for 180#, but I didn't want to embarass pre-pregnant me :)

Week 25 and 26 - Being Empowered

I love the video above for two reasons - It will give you ALL of the feels and it will make you want to go work out. At least that's how I felt.

Women have been some of my biggest supports lately. I have always had a few good girl friends, but primarily surrounded myself with boys. Being pregnant has really helped my bond with the women around me who have said some great things to empower me. Everyday they ask how I am feeling, tell me I look great and to keep up with my workouts. Women can be so caddy sometimes, but being pregnant has brought out a whole new side to them! I think the ones who have something bad to say just keep their mouths shut, and the rest just feel free to uplift me. I have to say that is something I love about being pregnant. It sets you apart from other people and I like being "special."

Do you know what else gives you all the feels and makes you want to work out? Your Crossfit gym posting a #wcw in your honor. My own sweet husband hasn't even done that. (He is going to read this and ask me what #wcw stands for.)

This couldn't have come at a better time. These past two weeks have been a little rough on me as far as getting to the gym and suffering from physical fatigue. It has been tough for me to get up in the morning because of the head trash I recently started reciting. Whenever the alarm goes off, I start thinking about how I only have a few more months to sleep in, how I can't do some of the movements in the workout, or about the long work day I have ahead of me. Then, the days I do get to the gym, I love to push myself and lately that has put a lot of work on my body. The fatigue I feel now is not like sleepy first trimester fatigue, it is the physical kind that you feel down to your bones. Where your mind is in the game, but you have been carrying 25+ extra pounds around all day and your body just taps out. Sometimes I tell myself I am going to go to the PM workouts and by the time 3 PM rolls around, I know THAT isn't going to happen either.

So to battle this, I have set my schedule to Monday, Wednesdays, Fridays and the occasional Saturday. That way I am getting 3-4 days to sleep in, I don't do two work outs in a row (except sometimes Saturdays) and I can't cherry pick work-outs based on movements that are hard for me to do. I have promised myself I am going to start slowing down and quit being so hard on myself when I am not leading the pack. I have to remember that Crossfit workouts are very intense and even doing a scaled version, though it doesn't feel like much to me, I am still getting a good workout.

On a side note, my parents got a new puppy named Hank and he is an absolute peach. He is a labradoodle, though he looks like more lab than poodle.

 

Week 23 and 24 - The Power of Restriction!

The Power of Restriction

Being pregnant has put a lot of restrictions on me which I recently discovered to be a wonderful thing. I have never been restricted. I have always been healthy and strong. I have never been put in a hospital, had surgery or broken anything. I have never been told "no" or been told to scale back. The world has always been my oyster, and up until now, I think I have taken that for granted.  This post is about how my workouts have been restricted due to my ever changing body and how that has altered my thinking for "post-pregnancy" training.

I sat back the other day and thought about why I started Crossfit in the first place. I was bored of my workout routine and that is what made me take my first step in the gym. I liked seeing the results and that is what kept me there for the next few weeks, but it was my husband's uncle that made me put my heart into my Crossfit training. Uncle Rick or "Uncle Bic" as they called him, was a sweet, passionate, hardworking man who stood about 5'8" but acted like he was 6'4". He loved that I was involved in Crossfit and would ask me about the gym all the time. He was diagnosed with ALS and unfortunately, lost his battle with that terrible disease. While he was alive, I would go to see him and Aunt Mary Ann and even with every struggle, Uncle Bic was always happy about something. "Well, I can't walk as well, but at least I can still talk!" "I can't button my own shirt, but at least I can still eat!" He started getting restricted in all areas, his speech, his motor skills, his ability to eat, but still with every hindrance, he found something to rejoice in. It was then that I started doing my own WOD dedications to him. I would embrace the "suck" that every Crossfit workout gave because of him. Why was I complaining about being sore or tired? Why did I bitch at burpees, wall-balls and thrusters? I have the ability to move my arms and my legs! I have the ability to run! My lungs work and I can breathe on my own! I can grab ahold of a bar and move weight around! My Crossfit journey began then and it was amazing to see myself change with every workout I embraced.

Some people, like me, have never been hindered or restricted. And unfortunately some never will. I  say unfortunately only because I wish everyone had the chance to feel the spirit that I am feeling. Or the feeling Uncle Bic felt being able to do the smallest tasks. Please note: I am not comparing ALS or any other long term disease to pregnancy. I am so lucky that my physical restrictions will soon be lifted in a few months and I can better myself. Not everyone gets that chance, either. I want to accomplish SO much physically once I have this baby. Right before I got pregnant, my training started getting a little sloppy. Between moving states, changing gyms and jobs, I had put my fitness on the back burner. I was still working out, but I wasn't trying my hardest. I complained a lot and was not excited to get out of bed for the gym in the morning. Now, I know getting up early to go to the gym is not going to be easy with a newborn, either. However, once I am in the gym, I can give it my all, because no one is telling me "no." I want to do more competitions I want to work hard to increase my personal records. I want to start running some races - A Ragnar in my future?! I was never a fan of running, but now that I am restricted, ALL I want to do is run! I can't wait to do sit-ups, and lift things heavier than my body weight and jump on boxes and completely exhaust myself. I am looking forward to working to get my body back in shape. 

I work out with so many strong mothers. My original gym partner, Shea, is a complete bad ass and she always contributed it to being "mommy strong." I get it now. And I haven't even gone through child birth. There is something inside all of these strong mothers that makes them hardcore and more head strong than any man could ever be. This pregnancy and little "break from no restriction" has been wonderful for me. It has made me appreciate all I have and all I can be. Watch out gains, you have a new crazy strong mama on your hands!

 What a change a week makes!!

Joshua took me deep-sea fishing for Mother's Day! It was such a blast!

We had to put down a very special family member last week. Magic lived for over 13 years and had a wonderful life. We are missing her every day. 

Week 21 and 22

The Power of Partner Workouts

 

Aw, partner workouts. Once my favorite kind of WOD, now they are terrifying. My gym recently declared Saturdays as "Partner Workout Days." They used to have three different time slots and now combined them into one, with the intention to have larger, more energetic class times. I am so grateful they did this because I love getting to see the PM gym goers. Working out with more people is why I love this sport so much and it is more encouraging to see so many faces on a Saturday.

 

In saying that, they program partner workouts every Saturday. As I mentioned before, I used to love them. I loved getting pushed by my partner to work harder, faster and heavier. They terrify me now for a few reasons:

 

1. I don't want to hold anyone back

 

I hate the feeling of being the weakest link. We have some great girls in our box who I know I could keep up with before, but now they get paired with me and I can see them dying a little inside. I can't do some movements, some I have to scale, and others I am just slow. Then they have their friends in there kicking butt, and I can tell it is hard for them to get beat and I know it is because of me. It is also frustrating for me when I have to do a movement and they have to hold a plank or something until I am finished with my movement, I know they are cursing me under their breath. They don't seem to complain as much when I take too long if they get a rest in between!

 

2. I don't want anyone to hold me back

 

Sometimes it happens where my abilities are underrated (usually while visiting a gym) because of my belly and I get put with a beginner. I have no problem helping and teaching and I understand the need for patience. Trust me, I was a beginner once too. There are times I have to use the same weight as my partner and a lot of beginners aren't comfortable lifting as much as I am. So in the end I don't think I put my best foot forward in a workout and it feels like a waste.  This situation does not happen very often and when it comes down to it, I just remind myself that I am still getting a workout in, regardless if I felt like I pushed myself to the max or not. Maybe sometimes it is ok to go a little slower and a little lighter!

 

3. I worry about pushing myself too much

 

This goes back to reason #1. If I am working out by myself,  I know my limits and where to stop. In a partner workout, sometimes I can catch myself pushing too hard in order to keep up or go faster so my partner doesn't have to suffer. I feel terrible asking for a break because I don't want to affect their scores or their workout. This is the reason for partner WODs, so that you will push yourself more than you would in a solo workout. However, this can leave room for injury to me or to the babe if I go too far beyond my comfort zone.

 

 

The partners I have had recently have been great. They don't act too bothered by me being slower and I feel like they understand what they are getting into when they are paired up with me. I have worked out with pregnant girls before I was pregnant myself, and I remember how amazed I was at what they were able to accomplish. I hope the girls at my gym see the same in me! I am looking forward to post-pregnancy, letting Joshua play daddy for a few hours, and showing my gym partners what I can actually do!

 

 

 

Note: I am not a week behind in posting. Well, technically I am, but according to Baby, I am not. The doctors pushed my due date back a week so I am doing "Week 22" all over again! His new due date is 8.25.15. Save the date!

 

 

 

Week 20 - How Pregnancy Benefits a WOD

As you know, this is a bi-monthly blog. But, I thought for my half way point, I could do a bonus one.

Looking back at the past 8 posts, I realized there is a lot of bitching that happens. "I can't do HSPU" "I can't run as fast" "My endurance has taken a toll" and so on... I also complain that sometimes the sub for particular movements is harder than the programmed movement. So for this post, I want to talk about the BEST parts about being pregnant and doing Crossfit.

How Pregnancy has been a Crossfit Blessing

Push-Ups
Because of my ever growing chest, push-ups have become much easier. And now that my belly is surpassing my boobs, it is making push-ups even easier! Other moves such as chest-to-bar and burpee dead lifts have also become easier. I don't have to go down NEAR as far to make sure my "chest hits the ground." Haha, suckers.

Burpees
Burpees have not become easier, but in the past 3 weeks or so my coach requested I just do "up-downs" for the remainder of the pregnancy. You don't have to tell me twice! Now I can fly through burpee workouts which speeds up my time and makes me look really awesome. I told a guy the other day "See, if you would just get knocked up, this workout could have been much easier for you."

Any sort of AMRAP
Please don't get me wrong, I still push myself every single day. However, when I hear "As many rounds as possible" I smile a little inside. I know that I wont be finishing last in anything which is really encouraging. If I need a little break, I can take a break and still finish with the rest of the group.

GHD Machines
I don't have to use these terrible ab-ripping, glute-blasting ponies at the moment. I don't do sit-ups anymore either, but sometimes the sub for sit-ups is harder than sit-ups. (Toes to Bar for example) But GHDs were never a strength of mine so any substitution is a great one. Thanks baby!

Weighted Jump Squats
I pride myself on making it to the gym an average of 4 days a week. However, some movements I just look at and think, "That's not necessary right now." When there are weighted jump squats, really jump squats in general, I will scale them with goblet or air squats, depending on how I feel. It really saves the hammies and helps me get through the rest of the WOD.

Box Jumps
Now that falling and losing my balance has become a fear, I do step-ups if the box jump count is high. Sometime we have EMOMs where we are only required to do 3 jumps, so I will still jump then. But if the count is 15-20 box jumps, I will do step-ups instead. Step-ups are great because you can get in a rhythmic pattern and you don't need any breathers in between. So just like burpees, I can zip through them and look speedy fast!

Post-Workout Snacks
Who needs a plate when you have a belly to hold food for you? Seems a little sloppy, I know. But at 6:00 AM when you're hungry and need to give your legs a break, there is nothing better than refueling and not having to do dishes after!

People love to joke about me being stronger because I have "4 hands" or that its not fair because "I have a partner to help me." I like to snap back and express that my partner is worthless and just eats while I do all the heavy lifting. In reality, I have the best workout partner ever.  Everything I do now, I do thinking of him. Though it is hard lugging around extra pounds during the WOD, I know he is benefitting from it with every step, hop and lift. Baby boy Harper can be whatever he wants to be, as long as he is happy that is all that matters. However, I am hoping all the work I am putting in now will lead to his active and healthy lifestyle!

Week 18 and 19

 

Changes. Changes. Changes.

 

The first and most OBVIOUS change is the shape of my belly. If you check out the pictures below, you will see I am really showing now! I woke up one morning and BAM! Baby bump. It was pretty cool.

 

The second change is the knowledge the world now holds and that is... IT'S A BOY! Joshua and I are very excited for this sweet little man to grace us with his presence in August. Yes, I have already registered for baby kettle bells and onesies that say "I get my muscles from my mom" and "I would flex, but I like this onesie."

 

 

Now onto Crossfit...

 

So much happened these past 2 weeks! 2 Open workouts, I went to Chicago and visited North River Crossfit downtown and a jump rope clinic. So much fun!

 

Well the open is completed and that is always a bitter sweet time. No more waiting by my computer at 4:45 anxiously waiting for the Open announcement. No more cursing at Dave Castro, a man I have never met, but seem to have an unnecessary grudge against. And no more Crossfit friends coming from across the country to brag/bitch about their times and scores.

 

15.4

A workout like 15.4 is something pre-pregnant Paige typically loves. As you know, I love handstand push-ups. I wouldn't have been able to get through the heavy cleans, but my "gym-nasty"ness would have given me a decent score. I haven't felt comfortable doing hand-stand push ups lately. I am about to do about 5 and I go find a way to scale them. So instead, I did the scaled version of 10 power cleans and 10 push presses. I went pretty light, I think 45# and 55#, but got through 7 rounds and 5 cleans. I was more winded than anything so I had to take a few breaks to catch my breath.

 

 

15.5

15.5 was another joy in itself. I have recently learned to quit hating rowing because I figured I am going to have to do a lot of it in the near future. I learned to become more efficient with stronger pulls and a tighter core. Have you ever watched a "good" rower vs. a "bad" rower? It isn't about speed as much as it is their pulling strength. But man, that workout smoked my legs. I did the crossfitmom.com workout and did 21-15-9... right after, I looked at the clock and was like, "eh, I'm already here. I am going to do the other 27." So I finished the other 27 at the end of the workout. I went light again, only 35# on the thrusters. I probably should have done 45#, but I was tired and I didn't want to so quit judging me.

 

Chicago

Chicago was an absolute blast. I would love to go during the warmer months, not pregnant, and go enjoy it with my husband. The cold wasn't very motivating when it came to exploring that charming city. However, I did get to do what I love, and that is visit a Crossfit gym! North River Crossfit was about a mile from my hotel so I took a taxi (like I said, it was freezing) and headed down there for a 7:00 AM WOD. I took my own advice (see week 15 and 16) and e-mailed the gym before to be sure they had experience with pregnant athletes. They were quick to respond and extremely friendly. I looked forward to it all week.

 

I walked in and their front desk guy was extremely nice. The coaches came right up and greeted themselves. We did some from squats and the WOD was 4 rounds of 20 Cal row, 10 thrusters (M95#/W65#) and 10 lateral burpees with a minute rest in between. Kinda looks like 15.5! I wasn't feeling very strong so I dropped to 35# and did up-downs. The coaches were encouraging, but not too pushy. I really had a great time and suggest you visit that gym if you are in the area!

 

 

Jump Rope Clinic

And finally, I went to a double under clinic that we had at our gym. It was extremely helpful, up until we started jump roping and I had some round ligament pain. It was awful. I kept trying to push through it, but I had to stop myself and remind myself to "listen to my body." It really sucked. I have slowed down in workouts, or skipped a minute during an EMOM, but never have I just had to STOP moving. Whatever I was doing was too much for the babe and my body told me to stop. So I sat and listened to the remainder of the clinic with my arms crossed and a pouty face.  I was not a good sport about it!

 

 

 

Enjoy the pictures below. Joshua and I got a kick out of how much I changed in a week. I didn't see him for 3 days when I went to Chicago and when he picked me up at the airport, all he could say was "Heyyyy Preggo!" I guess he noticed a difference too!

 



 

Week 16 and 17

My, my where is the time going? Two more weeks and I am half way there. Whoa, living on a prayer.

My two great topics for this post are going to include 15.2 and visiting new gyms while pregnant. Why not 15.3? Well, because I wimped out and did not go to class that morning. So big respect to any of my expectant mamas that did!

As many of you know, the second Crossfit Open workout was a repeat of 14.2. For those who don't know, it was a combination of overhead squats and chest to bar pull-ups. You have 3 minutes to complete two round of 10 OHS and 10 CTB. If and when you complete that round, you have another 3 minutes to complete 2 rounds of 12 OHS and 12 CTB. The reps increase by two every three minutes, assuming you complete your rounds. This was my favorite workout last year. I loved being able to complete the chest to bar when I know that is where a lot of women...and men... struggled. I believe last year I finished one round of 14  at an RX level.

This year I had to scale it down to 45 pounds and I used a band for pull ups. I completed one full round of 14 and then 5 pull ups on my second round. This time felt a little more "punishing" in that the harder I worked to complete the rounds, the more work I had ahead of me. The squats and pull-ups felt fairly easy, I just had a hard time catching my breath. I went way too fast on the first round and had about a minute and a half rest. I think if I would have slowed down, I would have had the ability to complete the 14 rep round. Overall, I achieved a great workout and was proud of the work I did.

Now, I wanted to talk about visiting new gyms while pregnant. Last weekend we went to Las Vegas for my brother's 30th birthday. What a blast, right? It actually wasn't too painful. However, instead of going to a Las Vegas pool party, I decided to hit the gym instead. There aren't too many Vegas opportunities where I feel good enough early Saturday morning to go to the gym, so I took advantage of this one.

The gym I went to was in a nice and convenient location. The coach was very welcoming and I wasn't hit too hard with a big drop-in fee. However, I would suggest one thing if you plan on dropping in on a gym, call ahead. Call ahead and ask if the coach has experience training pregnant athletes. They will probably automatically say "yes," but I challenge you to ask them questions such as "When do suggest pregnant women quit doing sit-ups?" or "what is your substitution for sit-ups?" or "what are other restrictions you have in place to protect your pregnant athletes?" These are simple questions that they should immediately be able to answer. My mistake was choosing any gym, walking in and telling the coach I was 4 months pregnant. "Great!" he said. And proceeded to check me in - or check me out... I'm still not sure about that.

Anyway, I could immediately tell this guy has never trained a pregnant woman before. For the warm up run, he assigned every athlete a weight for a med-ball to run with. I did a 500 meter run with a 14lb med-ball for my warm-up. Luckily, I have been at this for a while and was fairly strong pre-pregnancy, so I completed it and didn't die. However, I am not very big and I don't look very strong, so he could have easily assigned that weight to someone who couldn't handle it. Not too smart on his part. My home gym knows my strengths and they would never assign a weight to me while pregnant, even if they think I am sand-bagging a workout. I have had a harder time with my balance lately and I felt it was liability for the gym if, heaven forbid, anything were to happen.

The next red flag was the sit-up debate. We did a Tabata with sit-ups, which I have been told not to do after month three. I asked him what else he would like me to do and I got a "Why, because you're pregnant?"  *My thoughts: No, you moron. Because I would rather do something harder like toes to bar or box jumps.* I feel like that shouldn't have even been a question. We agreed upon leg lifts and I went on my Tabata little way.

Then, during our cool down, he had us pushing our hips against kettle bells, with the quote, "Ladies, here is a way to kill those ovaries." *My thoughts: Well, I am growing a baby close to my ovaries so I am going to skip that part.* I gracefully declined the movement and stretched my hips instead. He looked at me like I was trying to ditch out of the workout. It was pretty annoying.

So there you have it. If you are ever going to visit another gym besides your own, call ahead to do some screening. I never realized how lucky I am to have coaches who have experience coaching pregnant athletes and what it means to do so. In my opinion,  as a pregnant woman, you should never be told what weights to do, told to go faster, or questioned when you don't feel comfortable doing a movement. If you are feeling any of that at your home gym, sit down with the owner or head coach and explain your goals and expectations. That way everyone can be on the same page and you can get a safe, yet effective workout!

Now for Pictures!