Week 14 and 15- 15.1 Workout Review

The Crossfit Open. One of my most favorite/hated events last year. Last year I was signed up on the first day, was able to RX all of the workouts and though I was no regionals competitor, I stood hard in the middle of the pack. It was definitely $20 wasted, however it gave me something to work toward and be excited about each week. My most competitive side came out and that is a feeling I didn't appreciate until today. I missed my competitive side today. It was roaring in my heart, but my mind was smart enough to keep me grounded. I wanted to RX this workout, burn through toes-to-bar and PR on my clean and jerk.  I hated to scaled the Open this year, but I am RXing this baby makin' thing and I think that is pretty remarkable.

What I love about the Open is that it brings all Crossfitters together. Of course we have "the girls" and "hero WODs," but these are workouts we are ALL doing in the same weekend. I love seeing how my friends across the country did and see their improvements. I love the feeling of gathering around an iPad or computer to watch that bushy-eye-browed man tell us how he is about to challenge us for the next 3 days. I love the events gyms have to "celebrate" Crossfitmas. It is just a great time of the year.

Here is how the workout shaped out for me:

My thoughts for Dave Castro may be impartial, but my thoughts for 15.1 were pure joy. I dig toes-to-bar, easy deadlifts and moderate snatches. Pre-pregnant Paige calls them fairly light. However, pregnant Paige thought they were too heavy, so here is how I scaled it:
Toes to Bar for 2 rounds - the last few rounds I did knees to elbows
Dead Lifts- 55#
Snatches- 55#
Total Reps = 155
Clean and Jerk = 105#
 *I probably would have attempted 115#, but I think I was worrying the girl who was counting my reps. My max clean and jerk pre-baby was 125# and I was just on the peak of going over that. The clean and jerks were surprisingly fun. I was so amped up from 15.1 I felt like I could lift for days!

I took one solid minute to rest between 15.1 and 15.1A. This gave me more energy so I took less time between clean and jerk attempts because I wasn't winded.

The thing I struggled with the most was my hands. Oddly enough, I had a hard time gripping the bar for an extended period of time. I think this is what made me scale to knees to elbows. I had to remind myself I was not competing, just trying to get a workout in. If I spent too much time resting my paws, it would defeat the purpose of the light weights and low rep scheme. I didn't want to lose the cardio benefits of this work out. While I believe this WOD does need to be done quickly, keeping a steady pace will help make every second count.

Best of luck with 15.1 everyone!

 

 

A little beach day... I love how slim you look while lying down! I am taking a beach picture once a month to show progress!

 

 

 

Week 12 and 13

Aw, the wonderful bridge from the first trimester to the second. Where my body started changing and my gym performance followed along with it.

The major changes these past two weeks were a difference (negative) in my stamina, my sit-up performance and my mind's ability to allow myself to squat heavy. I caught myself stopping in the middle of WODs a lot this week, as well as dropping down in weight when it came to front squats, back squats and cleans.

According to crossfitmom.com, sit-ups are off limits in the second trimester. I still feel physically able to do them because my mid section has not felt too heavy,  but the owner of my box is the proud father of three babies and his wife is a Crossfit mother, so he is very strict not to allow me to do anything on my back. This is probably a liability issue on his part, too. So, I have been doing a ton of planking and toes to bar. If anyone has any other suggestions on what else to do, I am happy to hear them! Unfortunately, burpees are still in my workouts and I have been doing those whenever they are programmed.

My poor stamina has been conquered as well. We ran an "Insane Inflatable 5K" last weekend and I walked about half of it. I had a good 5-7 minutes in the beginning and after that it was just little spurts of running that I was able to handle. Its like running with a 5 pound kettle bell. Not a HUGE difference, but just enough to slow you down. Long WODs have been exhausting me too. We had a time cap one today with a calorie row buy in, followed by 3 rounds for time, followed by 100 DUs. I made it to 20 DUs. The movements weren't difficult, I just couldn't seem to catch my breath so I stopped a lot during the WOD.

Squatting has been the last big change. I start to feel pressure if I am doing too many weighted or jump squats. We have been working on back squats and cleans these past two weeks. To scale, I will either go down in weight, or do power cleans... or both. For jump squats I obviously just sub in air squats. I truly believe that squats are going to help in the delivery process later on down the road, so I want to be sure to do them. However, I am not going to put myself at risk by trying to show off and go too heavy.

Just general pregnancy news - My belly is starting to make it's debut into pictures. I got my first pair of maternity pants... WHY didn't I have these my whole life for events such as Thanksgiving, the county fair and Superbowl Sunday!? These stretchy God given pants are incredible. Oh, I also got a large body pillow which is also a must have. It makes sleeping on your side much more enjoyable!

This was a challenge that some of my 5AM friends had to do. Technically a 5 person plank... 12 Weeks Pregnant

This is from the finish line at the Insane Inflatable 5K - We had a blast!

 

Week 10 and 11

Week 10 was a teeter-totter for me. One day I am feeling great and doing hand stand push ups, the next day I quit half way through a fairly easy Tabata. There were no major changes in ways I had to scale or in exercises I couldn't do. It is just a matter of listening to my body. If I don't think I should continue, then I quit. Luckily my coaches understand.

I went to the doctor and saw the healthy baby for the first time- Yay! My doctor went on to tell me I can work out just as I was before. I explained to her my routine and she requested I go light on the weights. She then went on to explain to me the relaxin that was taking over my body, weakening my ligaments and muscles.

I passed week 11 and I feel like a whole new woman! My energy came back over night, my belly is starting to pop out a little more, and any sort of nausea I had is completely gone. I feel like I have been able to lift heavier, do more movement and finish WODs in decent times. One of my friends gave me a heart rate monitor and mentioned I needed to keep my heart rate below 150. I used the monitor for one day and it BEEPED the entire time. This was not going to work for me.

I did some research on heart rate and pregnancy. According to the Mayo clinic website, as a healthy, active person previous to the pregnancy, there is not need to worry about heart rate. It used to be women had to keep their rate under 140, but that does not apply anymore. Of course, they suggest talking to your doctor and keeping some precaution. Mainly, try to maintain a level that allows you to carry on a conversation. If you aren't able to do so, you are pushing yourself too hard. Wonderful. Anymore reason to talk is a reason of mine!

More research was done on the benefits of increasing my heart rate while pregnant. Not to be quoted,, but in one study I read, the greater the intensity of the mom's experience, the lower the fetus' heart rate and the greater the variability. In a different study, the benefits extended until 4+ weeks into the baby's life. This was pretty cool. I spoke with my husband about the studies I read. My husband and his younger sister were  long distance runners for the University of Arkansas - Woo Pig Sooie! That's right, I am the wife of a National Champion Track Runner. (Insert husband's eye roll here) He told me that his mother played softball and volleyball up until her final days before delivery. This was pretty encouraging and reassured me I am doing the right thing for my baby and his/her future.

I know this post isn't much about Crossfit, but hopefully encouraging if you are hearing some of the scrutiny I am hearing lately.

Week 8 and 9

I have done a lot better in the past two weeks. All of my coaches are aware of my +1 and I have started telling friends at the gym.

I have definitely struggled with a couple of things. It is frustrating going into new classes, not knowing anyone, and having to scale the way I do. I didn't think this was going to be an issue, but apparently I didn't realize how competitive I was. It is aggravating to do a workout that 2 months ago I was able to do with 30 more pounds on the bar, yet I am struggling through it the same way. I hate meeting new people and feeling like I have to explain why I am going so light on my weight, as if they even care.

I have also had a heck of a time dealing with weight gain. I used to be heavier in high school and when I look back at pictures, I always think "Never Again." I never wanted to allow myself to get over a certain weight and now that weight is rapidly approaching. I don't mind gaining a belly and once it is popped, I think it will be adorable. But no one tells you about the first trimester when you are just...pudgy. I feel/look like I just ate Chipotle and drank a bunch of beer and I can't suck my gut in. But my boobs are getting bigger, which makes push-ups much easier... and that's pretty awesome.

We have done testing in the past couple of days to look for 1 rep max in cleans, dead lifts, snatch and push press. We also did time trials.

Testing is a real bummer because you're really not supposed to be maxing out once you are pregnant. It is also a bummer because I have been working hard to increase these numbers.. and I never got a final verdict on how I have progressed. Luckily they weren't too much of a disappointment, except my mile time. That was about a minute slower than my last time trial 3 months ago.

Do you know that little voice inside of your head that pushes you along in your workouts? The one that goes " You can do Fran in under 6 minutes, you can do this quickly, too." Or "You have lifted more than that several times, you can lift this easily." Yeah, well, that voice is gone. There is absolutely no one inside of my head pushing me to gain anything in the gym. All I hear is "Don't go too fast... baby can't breathe." Dang it, baby.

I guess one thing that has gotten me through all of these struggles is the thought that there are many women who struggle with infertility and that would love to be in my position. Joshua and I were very blessed to be able to get pregnant as quickly as we did, and so far have a healthy baby. I need to rejoice a little more in my blessing, than be a whiny pregnant woman. There is nothing worse than a pregnant woman complaining about getting fat!

Week 6 and 7

Wow. What a change a couple weeks make.

I was in New York for 2 weeks on business and came back to California with the determination to get back in the gym, make some gains, and get better for the new year. My first day back after two weeks was rough. We did a work out of 75 KB swings, run 1 mile, and 75 more KB Swings. I love KB swings. I am able to get in a good groove with a solid breathing pattern and rock through them. I think I got through 30 and was exhausted. I blamed it on being out for 2 weeks (the longest I have been out of the gym in 2 years). I pushed through, finished the workout, and went on my merry way.

I got home and just felt... funny. I took a pregnancy test and sure enough... + + +.

I went back to the gym the next day, a little more cautious this time, but still with the ambition to rally through workouts like I normally do. Wrong. Very wrong.

You see, I thought when I got pregnant, I could continue my same Crossfit routine, with the same weights and movements, until my belly started getting big. I didn't realize that my body started making adjustments right away to make room for my passenger. Apparently, and I found this out the hard way, your ligaments start to loosen up and cannot support the weight they once did.

So this next day was a 3 rounds for time that included KB Swings, pull ups, air squats, hand-stand push-ups and sand bag runs... I LOVE these things!! I was so excited to RX the crap out of it, but baby had a different idea. On my 3rd round of hand-stand push-ups, I jacked something in my shoulder/neck and pretty much had to chip through the rest of the workout. It really, really sucked and that's when it hit me: It is NOT all about me anymore.

The coach made me take a few days off which gave me a lot of time to reflect. I couldn't be super Crossfit mom. I can still do Crossfit, but I have to scale down, I can't push myself as hard, and I have to listen to my body. I started telling my coaches one by one that next week. They say to wait 12 weeks before announcing a pregnancy, but if I wanted to stay pregnant, I had to have my coaches hold me accountable to stay safe.

So the lessons I learned:

-Your ligaments loosen up right away
-Scaling is a new word in my vocabulary :
         That means 26# KB and hand-stand push-ups are on a case to case basis
-It is not just about me anymore

Introducing Paige + 1

I have been an avid Crossfitter for a year and a half. It is the first sport that I have been a decent competitor. I am not exactly runner-up to join in the Crossfit Games, but I can do a bunch of pull-ups, I can push press my body weight over my head, and I have a mean handstand push-up.

My husband and I decided two months ago that we wanted a baby and BAM, we got one. At just a few weeks along, this new addition was already completely life changing. Not only did I get to drop the drinking, but I am tired, I'm hungry ALL THE TIME, and my ambition at the gym has completely changed.

For whatever reason, Crossfit is such a controversial subject, pregnant or not. And then adding pregnancy to it, people have their opinions don't they?! Do you remember lee-Ann Ellison? She was the pioneer to all of us crazy women who want to do Crossfit while pregnant. She posted pictures of her adorable self at 8 months doing Olympic lifts. I have to love her for it. And to quote her in this article, "Haters gonna hate." http://www.examiner.com/article/pregnant-crossfitter-ripped-for-lifting-weights-haters-gonna-hate

I have done a lot of research on working out while pregnant and not much research is done on Crossfit. I have found a lot of blogs which have helped, so I figured why not write my own? Please note: I am NOT  a doctor and I do not have a risky pregnancy. All entries are based on my own personal experiences and are to help other pregnant women gather ideas to use in their workouts.

I will touch on various topics such as heart rate, my growing belly, body image, how I scaled movements and my thoughts along the way. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I think I will!

Here are a few pictures pre-pregnancy:

 

Strict Press

 Weighted Box Jumps

 Rope Climbs

 (If you haven't already found it, www.crossfitmom.com has been pretty helpful. The information on what to do at each trimester was extremely helpful as well as the substitutions for movements.)