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Comin' Round the Mountain...Again

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Living on a sacred mountain for 10 days has had some interesting and unexpected impacts upon my sense of self–expectedly–but also on my body, body composition. Given I am finally feeling re-settled into my weekly/daily rhythms from the experience (nearly two weeks later now), it seems time for a little musing on what I’m learning on the CrossFit way, embodied dedication, etc. Most significantly, my 56-year-old body was quite prepared for the rigors of primitive camping in community, with a base-camp and then three days ‘solo’ on the mountain. I’ve not lived on the land quite like this before, to be honest, so I learned a lot . I loved being reminded I am a mammal, like other mammals. Bodily waste is natural, normal, if needing coordination when camping in a community. Enter The Pooper (also know as The Shitter ), the latrine trench dug a good 200 feet from any of us and the basecamp kitchen area. Covered up and buried upon our departure. But my body was so very well prepared. I loved...
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Size, Fitness, and Sighs...Oh My

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Think bigger than a smaller pair of pants. (Christine d’Ercole) I was struck by this catchy aphorism this week, purchasing my first pair of jeans in a very long while. For the last, oh, I don’t know, 5-7 years, I have consciously chosen what I call “womb-friendly” pants. I’ve spent most of my life trying to hide my abdomen, out of touch with how amazing a womb is , then I learned the power hidden there for my own groundedness, self-cherishing. So finding “womb-friendly” clothes was a step in honoring the comfort of my body and prioritizing that instead of trying to minimize or hide. I still catch myself hiding my middle, of course. Decades of habit. But I’ve relished the blood-mysteries my body participated in for decades, even as I now relish the beyond of those specific mysteries.  Going on a “women’s fast” mountain listening journey soon, I realized I don’t have any jeans. At all. I’ve worn capris or black/colored leggings for so long, jeans were unnecessary. Hoping for “wom...
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Getting Back into the Swing Again

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It’s been a marvelous swing in which to find myself again--CrossFit-Peloton-ing. I’m easing back into the ‘end of summer/start of new semester’ rhythms, which means more work meetings and more complicated calendars after 9 a.m. This has sent me to the 6 a.m. CrossFit session most days, though I still enjoy the easing into the day slowly before the mid-morning WOD. It’s been good to dance between that and Peloton, each informing the other. [Image: Returned dude12345 , CC0, via Wikimedia Commons] For instance, I’ve learned how to stabilize the mental game on the Echo/Assault Bike! Peloton trains you to focus on the resistance and cadence, particularly if you’re into a Power Zone ride. Some instructors aim for cadence focus, choosing the musical tracks to challenge the riders in cardio or strength-oriented ways. High cadence, cardio; lower cadence with higher resistance, strength-oriented. What I learned was that the 11 calories/round I got to do on the Echo Bike this past Sunday was mu...
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Putting It Away Again

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I am happiest when I’m moving, as I told my hormone doc last week. I’m also happiest when the bathroom scale is back under the bed . Settling back into a gratitude practice, a regular CrossFit rhythm, exploratory Peloton and yoga complements, I begin this Monday with a sense of anticipation, pleasure, ease. The scale is back under the bed where it belongs. My vision is set to prioritizing my body’s fueling and rhythms, loving what I do. I can’t say I succeeded at the Rest Day, as advertised in my previous post. Whoop doesn’t register much strain at all for sprint intervals, so my rationalization to be happy moving. I enjoyed the 45-min sprint intervals session with Christine d’Ercole, challenging my starting resistances a little. I continue to be stronger sitting down for the sprints. Perhaps someday I’ll learn the power-force or posture required for standing-starts. I continue to be grateful for the protein-hack the owner of Centerville CrossFit shared earlier this year: egg whites in...
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A Thursday Cardio Fest

 A good cardio day to balance out the strength-training and metcon things of the week so far. Five rounds, a minute rest between rounds, 800m c@ bike (though rounds 2&4 chose a 200m run instead), 20 air squats (30 round one, ooph), and 350m row. Made the time-estimate goals, with a good sense of steady pacing. I'm thankful for the chatty interaction with a 5 a.m.'r, for the growing recognition of teammates for the day's efforts, for a sense of completion before a spacious day of work, home-improvement, rest and sacred listening begins. Chose a slightly higher carbs day as well, with a bit of fruit/nut muesli that's been soaking in the fridge this week. Smaller breakfast and lower protein intake to begin. May not make the protein goal for the day, but just wasn't hungry for a large fueling meal.  Rest day tomorrow...or a sprints-interval workout (which never registers 'high strain' on my Whoop band). We'll see how it feels...
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Benefits of Consistent Practice

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I wonder if my internalized voices would alter in any way if I kept a more consistent blog practice? I've tended to reserve this space for quarterly-ish progress reports or substantially-new insights, learnings. How might a gratitude practice here more regularly undergird my learnings, my rhythms, achievements and struggles? This morning, I find myself thankful, curious enough to see what rises. Perhaps when I land in the 6 a.m. class, a brief reflection afterward, to ground the day? Some of the institutional-side of my job is kicking in these weeks of August, requiring me to tend to my CrossFit habit early if I'm going to get it in at all. The first morning was a bit stiff and creaky, yellow-recovery in Whoop terms given the sleep inconsistency. But the next two mornings were easy, with Green-to-Go and a sense of stream-lining my day that I've forgotten of late. Post-book publication, I've let my sense of "drive" sit in the corner, reading a magazine or watch...
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Sprint-Intervals, Welcome to the Party

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I think I have found my avenue into the sprint-interval training I read about over a year ago in Stacy Sims & Selene Yeager’s work, Roar and Next Level . Christine D’Ercole has put together ‘sprint interval training’ for the Peleton crowd–a 20 min intro, a 30 min session, and a 45-min session. The first gives you a taste of the training. The second is a bit more extensive, with possibility of engaging twice a week. The 45-min is the “once-a-week” option, with an intensity I’m feeling at the moment, even several hours later.  Last summer, having been introduced to Sims&Yeager via Annie Thorisdottir, I began to weave simple running-sprints into my weekly rhythms. Up a hill once or twice a week. 10 of them, for maybe 15-20 seconds’ burst of effort. Walk back down the hill, repeat nine more times. I don’t remember much of my body’s response to these, though I was at a good maintenance weight and saw my body composition change. [I had paired this with Barbell Club at my then Cr...
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