I also helped a friend work on building her own chicken coop. She’s had chickens before, in her urban home, but a raccoon was able to sneak in and kill the last bunch, so this time she’s building a bigger, better coop. (She has a Masters in architecture, so she enjoyed drawing up the plans.) I used to help my dad with a lot of construction projects when I was in high school and college, so it was fun to work with power tools and wood again.

Dally was the quality control supervisor for Joy’s work on the saw.

Today’s CrossFit workout was exciting for me–it was my first Hero WOD! I’ve missed the last couple of benchmark WODs, so when I found out today was a Hero, I was pumped to try it. I had planned on waking up early to fit in a short run, but after not getting home from reffing volleyball until 2 am, I decided it was better to sleep in. So I ran to the box, with plans to run back to get 2 miles. (One of the perks of living near your box!)

Here was the WOD:

Brendon warned us that “Sevens” was tough and only two people in the box have been able to finish all 7 rounds with the prescribed weights in the 35 minute cap–Tara and Iverson. Bad-ass! None of us were working with the prescribed weights, but my personal challenge was to get all 7 rounds done, and I did…in 25:23! I was whooped!

Sevens

7 Handstand Push-ups
7 Thrusters
7 Knees to Elbows
7 Deadlifts
7 Burpees
7 Kettlebell Swings
7 Pull-ups
7 Rounds

This WOD was named after seven CIA agents who were killed in action by a suicide bomber. These were each of their favorite maneuvers. (It’s pretty cool to know the story behind the Hero workouts–they inspire you to really give it your all, when you know they gave theirs for our country.) You can read more about Hero workouts here: Explain the Hero Workouts

My Rx:

Handstand Push-ups — Toes on the box at 20″
Thrusters — Men’s bar (45 lb)
Knees to Elbows — Knees to Chest
Deadlifts — 85 lbs
Kettlebell Swings — 26 lbs
Pull-ups — Used green rubber band (moving up!)

I was exhausted afterwards and thought maybe I’d just walk home, but when I walked outside, I thought the best way to cap off a Hero workout would be to push myself a little more and run home. It was at a slower pace than running to class, but that’s OK–I did it.

What’s been your latest physical barrier you’ve pushed through?

Have you experienced a Hero WOD yet?

LaMesa rocking the neon green Zola shades.

Anyway, I wasn’t too sure what to do with the contents, but the first thing that came to mind was a protein smoothie. Usually I don’t keep tabs one what all I put in my smoothies–it’s usually a toss-in-as-I-go type of affair, but after sharing a pic of this smoothie on my Instagram, I was asked for the recipe, so here it goes:

Peach & Coconut Protein Smoothie

1 Handful of fresh spinach leaves
Frozen peaches (however many you’d like)
Half a frozen banana
1 Heaping tablespoon full of plain Greek yogurt (I like Oikos, but it’s whatever you’d prefer)
1 scoop ProComplete One V-Core Vanilla Bean Protein powder
1/4 cup Zola Coconut Water
1 Packet Hodgeson Mill Milled Flax Seed
Sprinkle of chia seeds

1. Combine everything but the chia seeds in a blender. Add as much or as little Zola coconut water as you’d like. (Some like a thicker smoothie that they actually eat with a spoon, or a thinner smoothie to drink while on the road.)
2. Pour the smoothie into the container of choice.
3. Sprinkle some chia seeds on top.
4. Enjoy!

I made my smoothie a little thicker (I added a lot of peaches and spinach) because I wanted to enjoy it in a big mug and spoon. I don’t know what it is about eating a smoothie out of a bowl/big mug some times, but it’s relaxing and I feel like I stay fuller longer. Could just be a mind thing.

I’ve made a protein smoothie using the Zola coconut water with a frozen berry mix (raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries), spinach, and plain Greek yogurt that M enjoyed after his first CrossFit class.

I love using the coconut water because it’s so versatile and doesn’t flavor your smoothie too much. Plus, coconut water helps with hydration, which is perfect for summer time and recovering from workouts.

I drank the acai juice on its own throughout the week, as a little pick-me-up with my lunches. It had a consistency an flavor that takes a little getting used to, but it was still pretty good. I’d never had plain acai juice before, so this was nice to get to experience.

What’s your favorite summer time post-workout smoothie recipe? (I’m always looking for new combinations.)

**Note, I was provided the samples for free from Zola, but all views are my own.

Related articles

• 6 Smart Add-Ins For Your Next Smoothie (news.health.com)
• New green smoothie recipe! (runnergirlrobin.wordpress.com)
• Have you ever tried Coconut Water? (runfindyourhappypace.com)

And now for some good workouts. Thursday morning I ran 3.6 miles before I had to head to physical therapy for my knee. We’re now focusing on ultrasound therapy for my knee–I’m still doing the exercises to strengthen my legs, but the ultrasound therapy should help break down the inflammation and swelling that’s still in my knee. After the first session, my knee felt fine–wasn’t sore or anything from my run earlier. And so far, it’s held up to some tough CrossFit workouts, so I think it’s working.

And for the first time I have hit CrossFit four times in a week! Gotta love having a more flexible schedule, right? (One positive look at it…) I missed Thursday’s workout, which stinks because I heard it was killer, but I hit Friday and Saturday’s workout.

Friday, June 14:

Strength: 5 rounds of four Cleans

I was able to do the strength portion with 55 lbs. I might have been able to add more, but I really am trying to focus on getting my form correct first, before adding a bunch of weight. When you add weight, you tend to start to lose your form as you tire, but if you’re diligent about keeping your form, it shouldn’t be too bad.

WOD:
5 Overhead Squats
100 m Sprint
7 minute AMRAP

I was able to get in seven rounds, plus the five overhead squats, in seven minutes. It was exhausting, though! I used a 35 lb bar for the squats and did tend to lose a little of my form, but Taylor was good at reminding me to keep my elbows locked.

Saturday, June 15:

I was excited about today because M was finally joining me for CrossFit! It was Man O’War CrossFit‘s “Bring a Friend Day”, so he tagged along to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, it was a killer workout to start him off. But the newbies (there was one other) only had to do 10 minutes.

WOD:
EMOTM 20 Minutes
5 Medicine Ball Cleans
5 Medicine Ball Slams
5 Squat Jumps
Hold plank on forearms for remainder of minute

By the 10 minute mark, I wanted to be done! Again, I was focusing on my form for the cleans, using a 14 lb medicine ball. I’d get anywhere between a 15-20 plank hold every minute. You’d think it wouldn’t be too difficult, but your legs are burning after the first few rounds. M struggled a little, but he did the 10 minutes then rested. I ended up with burns on my elbows from the planks from slipping with sweaty arms. Ouch.

I showed M how to use a foam roller on his legs, since he was saying they felt like Jell-O, plus I figure they’ll be a little sore come tomorrow morning.

So a great way to kick off the weekend–good news and a good sweat!

Real quick, I wanted to share this easy grilled dinner I made Friday night. I simply marinated some chicken breasts in Italian dressing and put them on the grill. Meanwhile, I sliced up a sweet potato into “wedges” and tossed them in some olive oil, sea salt, and nutmeg, then plopped them on the grill (on aluminum foil) while the chicken was cooking. I also sliced up half of a red bell pepper and tossed them in olive oil and grilled for a few more minutes, too.

I put together a quick spinach salad with slivered almonds, reduced-sugar cranberries, carrots, and a little shredded cheese just for a little something more.

And voila!

What’s your favorite easy summer meal?

So here are two of the past workouts from Man O’War CrossFit:

June 11:

We warmed up with a quick core AMRAP, and let me tell you–Turkish Get Ups at 6:30 am are not fun!! Plus, I was taught to do them a different way, so to do them the way Taylor showed me, with a 17.6 lb kettlebell (when I used to do them with a 10 lb dumbbell) was hard!

I then did the WOD:

50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders
Kettlebell swings
1 Wall Climb

My goal for the DUs was to try to do 10 in each round, then the rest singles. I’m lucky I was wearing capris, because I knew I would have had welts on my legs and butt to match the welts on my arms! They hurt so much, but yet I’m determined to figure them out! I did the kettlebell swings with a 26 lb kettlebell, and then I worked on my form (getting my hips closer to the wall) for my wall climb. I think I was finished in 13:34.

Wednesday’s workout was fun because I was finally able to meet Nicole there. Like me, she had always been interested in trying CrossFit, and after reading my posts, she bought a Groupon and has started going to Man O’War! So it was fun to finally get to workout with her on a rare day off for her.

I walked the mile to the box from my house (lucky, I know) as a warm-up. Then the fun began:

After a group warm-up of three 1000m runs with 10 jumping jacks between each set, we stretched then started on the the strength portion of the workout: five sets of 4 deadlifts with medium to heavy weight. I was able to up my weight to 115 lbs! Brendon really had us focus on our form, which was definitely what I needed. With the lighter weight my but would raise higher faster, which is what you don’t want to happen. But as we got to my max weight, my form was better.

Then the WOD:

2 Muscle Ups (or 2 chest to bar with 2 dips)
4 snatches
10 Rounds

Because I can’t do a muscle up, I did the two chest to bar with two dips on the box. Though, I actually did three of each because I felt like my first C2Bs were always a little weak. I moved myself from the wider, thicker purple band to a more narrow green band to give me something to work on. We weren’t doing it for time, so the clock wasn’t running–Brendon wanted us to focus on our form for the snatches more than anything, which is why I just did the 35 lb bar. I felt that I could maybe do more weight on the bar, but I told him that I really wanted to get the technique down first. After the workout, I think I have the snatch down-pat….for now, at least.

This morning I ran 3.6 miles in 33:52 before I headed to my physical therapy appointment–we started ultrasound therapy on my knee today, so I’m hoping that helps the healing process. I’ll let you know how that goes.

What’s the one CrossFit maneuver, or even regular workout maneuver, that you are focusing on this summer to improve? I’m focused on the double unders and more of the Olympic lifts.

I spent the weekend in Indiana visiting my family and helping my dad run a dog agility trial. It was a long, grueling weekend of keeping things going, as well as running Dally and LaMesa. Luckily Dally came through and was a rockstar like always, which made things a little easier. LaMesa, on the other hand, was her usual self where we had our usual struggles. Oh well, you can’t win them all!

Life has taken a big turn for me recently. I’m taking a big step and gone out on my own for right now–no more stable salary, no more stable schedule, etc. I’m looking for something new currently, but I don’t really know what direction I want to go in: Do I want to stay in the equine industry? Do I want to stay in the media sector? I don’t know. Do I dare consider going back to school for something else? I have no clue. I have a lot of questions and not one single answer at the moment…and I hate it.

Another part of my rough patch was when I had a doctor’s appointment Tuesday morning. I won’t go into detail, but they took a biopsy of something that looks like it could be pre-cancerous or cancerous. I’m hoping to get the (positive) results in the next few days.

And, finally, Tuesday afternoon I had to make the difficult phone call to the veterinarian. Mara, my 16-year-old cat, has not been doing well lately. Back in March we had one pint of fluid removed from her lungs. In May we repeated the process. But since then, she hasn’t gotten any better. She was tired–barely able to walk very far in the house before she had to lay down to catch her breath. But yesterday it was different–she wouldn’t eat her canned food, and this time she had to pant through her mouth in order to breath. When M woke up, I told him I had to call the vet. When 5 o’clock rolled around, we loaded up the car and headed to the vet. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, she died on her own while we waited for the vet to come in.

Mara was born before I went into high school. She “helped raise me” (as my mom says) through high school and college, and moved from Indiana to Texas, to Oklahoma, and now Kentucky with me and Dally.

M was just as affected by Mara’s death as I was. I’m lucky that I have him to comfort me. He’s taking recent events pretty hard, but he’s still been my rock, and for that I’m so thankful. I hope everyone is lucky to have a support system like I do.

So how have you been??

Let me tell you, this is actually pretty simple–I just threw it all together.

The peaches were from my trip to the farmers market and I wanted to try grilling fruit for the first time. I also thought it’d be a great fresh desert that wouldn’t be too sweet, but hopefully satisfying.

1. I cut two peaches in half and removed the pits. Then I lightly sprayed both the inside and outside with some coconut oil. The grill was already going with a layer of aluminum foil on it, so I laid them down, cut-side first, on the grill for 5 minutes.
2. I then used tongs to flip over the peach half and set that on the grill for a few more minutes (this really depends on you–I wanted the peaches to be soft, so I left them on the grill a little longer).
3. While the peaches are grilling, I set about making the ricotta mixture: In a bowl, I mixed ricotta cheese (no real measurement, maybe a half cup) with a few drops of vanilla flavoring and a swirl of agave nectar.
4. Remove the peaches from the grill, then top them with the ricotta mixture.
5. Drizzle a little honey or agave on the peach/ricotta combination and a dash of cinnamon if you so desire.
6. Enjoy!

I can’t wait to try some more grilled fruit combinations. What’s your favorite?

After warming up with some core workout, here was the WOD:

50 Doubleunders
25 Kettlebell swings (26 lb)
50 Doubleunders
25 Push-ups
50 Doubleunders
25 Knees to Elbow
50 Doubleunders
25 Medicine ball slams (14 lb)
50 Doubleunders
25 Dips
2 Rounds

Killer!! This was my first time doing doubleunders (DUs) ever–and I had the welts on my arms to prove it! But, I have to say they’re actually a lot of fun. You have to get yourself in a rhythm and, as Taylor says, it’s all in the wrists. My goal was to actually to 10 DUs and the rest single jumps, or else I would have been there all day trying to do the DUs. After a while, it’s hard to keep count. I honestly can’t remember how long it took me to finish the WOD. Somewhere around 20 minutes? I just know I was dead! I quickly headed home to shower, fix a protein smoothie, feed the dogs, and be in at work by 8 am. Shew!

Wednesday’s WOD was going to be interesting to me because I didn’t know what the letters meant for the first workout until Taylor explained it:

Our strength portion was working on the strict press–5 sets of 4, with a partner. (One partner did the medicine ball throws while the other did the press.) I was able to do my strict presses with 50 pounds! I’ll admit, though, that I did use a little leg to get it up after a while, but it’s definitely progress for me and my weak upper body.

So the WOD:

100 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (35 lb bar)
50 Thrusters (35 lb bar)
30 Pull-ups
For time

Here’s a video on how to do a sumo deadlift high pull: http://youtu.be/MTafqGjSeXk

Let me tell you, those sumo deadlift high pulls (SDLHP) are killers! I lost my form a few times and had to be reminded by Taylor to keep the “chest up, butt down” on my squat because I was getting tired. I tried to break it up into just 50 and 50, but ended up doing 50, then 25, then 17, and then 8. My shoulders were already burning by the end of that, and then you had to do 50 thrusters?? I was nervous about the pull-ups because I was afraid I wouldn’t have much arm left, but I think I’m getting the technique down on those because they seemed easier (yes, I’m still using a wide band–I’m hoping to move up next week on that).

I finished in just a little over 10 minutes (our goal time).

After catching my breath and cleaning up, I worked on my doubleunders some more–never too tired to work just a little bit more!

What’s one movement/workout you’ve seen yourself get stronger doing?

Things are going well with my relationship with M–we’re starting to get a routine with his odd (midnight-8 am) schedule and have figured out how to make it work. I’ll admit, it was a little rough for a while there, but now I think we’ve got it handled. And we’re much happier for it.

I’ve been released by the sports medicine doctor to start (slowly) get back to running and to be careful adding mileage and speed. Yet, as I’ve gotten back to pounding the pavement, it hasn’t been an easy restart. My knee still bothers me at times, and when it does I back down on the speed or the mileage or just back off from running period. I ran Sunday morning for four miles and was ouchy after, even with the stretching and such that I’m supposed to do. I’m going back to physical therapy next week for ultrasound therapy to help break down some of the swelling that’s still around my knee.

I’m doing my best to just take it easy, but I want to get back to running so bad. I want to feel that sense of accomplishment I felt every weekend when I tackled my long runs and the camaraderie of the running group I joined this winter. I miss running.

In other fitness news, I’ve become immersed in CrossFit. I’ve been going to Man O’War CrossFit for a month or so now. I try to go at least 2-3 times a week. I’m good about babying my knee–if I see that a workout could be a potential pain for my knee, I tell Taylor and we come up with alternative workouts for me. I’m feeling stronger already–Monday morning before spinning I did some push-ups and crunches, and I was able to do five sets of 10 push-ups on my toes! W00t! Granted I couldn’t go all the way down, but it’s still an improvement, and I’ll take it.

So everything is going great, right? I’m living a healthy life again? Umm no. 

The eating has been way off track. I don’t really know why. Well…maybe I do. I’ve been under a lot of stress at work. My sweet tooth has been in overdrive. It’s been hard to squelch it. I’ve read about how certain things can trigger sugar cravings, but I haven’t been able to figure out how to wean myself off the sugar and off the need for sweets. 

M and I have challenged each other to a month of cleaner eating. I’m hoping it’ll inspire him to think a little more about what and how he’s eating, and then hopefully it’ll inspire him to start taking his health a little more seriously. He purchased a Groupon to try Man O’War CrossFit with me almost a month ago, but he still has yet to use it. So I’m hoping a month of health-conscious living will help not only him, but myself as well. 

And then there’s the professional life. Well…let’s just say it’s not the best right now. The freelancing has picked up, which is nice, and I’m enjoying it. But in other terms, I’m learning that having a strong personality and strong opinions some times needs to be harnessed when it comes the professional setting. I need to learn a little more self-control when it comes to my emotions and to think not once, but twice, about responses. It just doesn’t feel like a comfortable, happy place any more. It feels like an odd place for me to be in.

So this turned out to be an odd post, but maybe that’s the best fitting since I titled it “In an odd place.” If you have any advice on any of the above–cleaning up our eating, breaking the sugar cycle, runner’s knee, work environments, etc.–I’d appreciate you sharing.

Sunday morning I actually slept in until 7:30! I was impressed with myself–I must have been tired. I waited until M came home from work and chatted with him a bit, then I headed out for my first “long run” since my injury. I planned to just run around the park for about 2.5 miles, but then I decided I really wanted to see how I could hold up to something longer than the usual 3.5 miles we’ve been doing in the mornings, so I pushed it to 4…which ended up being 4.44 by the end of the run. My knee felt a little ouchy, but not too bad. I grabbed the pups and took them for a walk before it got too humid. (It was only 67, but the humidity was crazy thanks to the front that came through yesterday.)

After stretching, a relaxing breakfast, and a shower, I headed off to run errands. On tap was my first trip of the year to the farmers market, followed by some grocery and essentials shopping. At the farmers market I was drooling over the many booths of strawberries and peaches. After checking everything out, I decided on a (big) pint of some large, beautiful strawberries and some fresh Georgia peaches.

Look at those massive strawberries!

Grocery shopping included some chia seeds and almond slivers from Trader Joe’s, and some veggie essentials from Aldi: spinach, lettuce, steam-fresh veggies, eggs, and a bag of frozen stir fry that I can wait to make one night for dinner!

“Essentials shopping” included a trip to TJ Maxx where I was looking for some black running socks (nope) and some summer work clothes (nope, nope). Instead, I came home with a hand-held water bottle for the hot summer training runs I’m planning, and a thing of Agave nectar (yes, I love TJ Maxx).

I did a little meal prep for the week (thanks for the tips, Lindsay!) to help M with his lunches for work and to make a little something for my parents when we visit next weekend. I marinated chicken breasts for not only our dinner, but a few extra for M (total of 5 that hit the grill). I also used up some of the over-ripe bananas to make a banana bread that I found on Pinterest that’s clean eating friendly. I cut the loaf in half and wrapped up one half to take to Indiana. The other half M and I will enjoy as part of our breakfasts this week.

Our dinner Sunday was all about the grill and fresh food: grilled chicken breast, grilled sweet potatoes, and grilled corn on the cob (this time with garlic powder and parmesan cheese). I treated M to a desert of grilled peaches with a ricotta mixture I came up with. (I’ll share the recipe soon.)

Love Summer grilling: chicken breast, sweet potato, and corn on the cob fresh from the grill

How did you celebrate the first weekend of June?

Here are some posts that intrigued me this week:

The What & Why on the Supplements I Take (Sports Bras & Sippy Cups): I will be the first to admit I’m horrible about taking vitamins or supplementing my diet. I love protein shakes, but I don’t make them every day. M has a big bottle of men’s multi-vitamins that he hasn’t even cracked open. I appreciate Joanna taking the time explaining what she takes and why–it helps those of us who are trying to figure all of that stuff out.

An Insider’s Guide to getting KT Taped Before a Race (The Way We Roll): I know this is a promo for KT Tape, for the most part, but it’s educational. I’ve never used KT tape, but I know people who have and swear by it. In fact, it intrigues me a lot and I wonder if it would help my heel and maybe my runner’s knee? But then I hear it stays on for a long time, so you don’t hear of people using it a lot except for big races. I’d love to learn more about it and try it, though. (I’ve never seen a KT Tape booth at the two half marathons I’ve done, but maybe soon they’ll make it this way…)

Running Etiquette: The 10 Commandments (The Running Blog): This post circulated social media this week pretty rapidly, but it’s always good to share more! I’m always a big nodder when running–I feel proud of be part of the running community! And I always try to keep my trash in my belt and pray for a trash can, but that’s so hard to do some times. How do you keep from littering while on your long training runs?

The Best of First World Dog Problems (BuzzFeed): OK, so this might not really be a blog, but it’s pretty funny and should give you your daily dose of cute for the weekend! I loved all of them so much, I had to do a couple of memes for my two dogs on their agility blog, so check them out: Agility on Stumps: First World Dog Problems

I feel like there were a few I totally forgot about that I wanted to include this week. I’m sorry! But, please, share some of your favorite reads in the comments below!