CrossFit Return

 

It has been 400+ days since I stepped into a gym with other people.

So how did it go?

I pulled up outside the 'new' building where the gym was and immediately saw someone I knew. 

I was a bit nervous but this set me at ease right away. Was I going to make a fool out of myself in front of everyone else? Was I going to be able to do the day's workout [WOD]? 
Josh pulled up and opened the doors. 

"Welcome back!" 

I stopped worrying as I changed my shoes and explored the new area of the gym. New to me but not the others.

As others walked in, they introduced themselves to me. I didn't feel like odd one out at all. I didn't have to explain my absence. Everyone was welcoming and full of encouragement and smiles.

As we started to warm up and Josh walked around our gym, things started to fall back into place for me.

Viroqua CrossFit. 

I needed some help finding things but everyone assisted. 

I wasn't lost, I wasn't judged for my long absence. No one asked me to explain.

I was encouraged and cheered as I PR'd with a dead lift. It wasn't an impressive lift by any means, but it was a new high for me.

I worked on my form, I felt good. I smiled a LOT. I felt like I got my MOJO back.

I'm no fitness freak. I am well onto 'that' age which probably marks me as elderly, but I know in my heart that as a CareGiver, this is the most important thing I can do for myself. 

Social workouts. After over a year of Isolation, it is incredible to be able to work out with other folks again. It gives me a sense of belonging and comradery. 

I cannot say enough about our coach, Josh Brown. He is the ultimate coach, best ever.

When I got home, my husband asked how it went. He wasn't keen on having me go back to the gym, but I'd told him this was a must for my physical and mental health as a CareGiver.

I smiled at hubby.

"It went well. Better than well. It went fantastic."

For the first time in forever, I felt calm and chilled out. 

Welcome Back Me to CrossFit. 

Time Out

 

After hours of freezing, drying, and cooking, I thought a day 'off' would be in order.

Charlie and I headed to KVR to check out how long it would take me to get to the ponds if I parked at Star Valley or Willow Camp.

Star Valley used to be a road that joined Old 131. It is a maintenance road now and allows the KVR people to access different areas with equipment needed to mow and clear trails.

I had an idea that this next month or so that I am going to hike down to the ponds to take some photographs of a sunrise over the water.

I took the following shots with my little Infrared pocket camera.

The walk through the trees was wonderful for the light and shadows.

However, once we got on the main trail. IT was hot! 

I stopped more than once in some scarce shade to give Charlie a break from the sun and some water too.

We made it to the ponds after I had a brain fart and turned left instead of right. Well, it pays to do these things in the daylight if you plan to do the hike at predawn I suppose.

We made the ponds and I took shots with my little pocket camera in Infrared of course.

These were taken with a pocket camera. A Canon ELPH 180 that I ordered from Kolari Vision. I did have my Olympus OMD EM 5 [old and abused camera converted after I had fun with this pocket camera]...but the Oly is having major issues now. I can still get a decent photo out of it, but the LCD is green and dullish.

I take the Canon pocket camera on hikes when I don't feel like dragging along extra weight. I also use the little red pocket camera on hikes. Less equipment = less weight.

I am doing this for fun and creative distractions.

Call it art if you wish.

But it sure takes my mind off from all the world troubles.

So here I am...another photo...a self shot of me having fun with CrossFit later that day. I was following my coach's suggestion of using Charlie as an awkward item to lift.

Note the messy hair!

Here is the funny video I made for my CrossFit coach and friends....

Naughty Charlie was digging in the yard.

He has discovered voles!

Enjoy if you want and laugh aLOT. The mules did!

Last note.

I started getting the photos for the Nonnicorn and Buddysaurus Book of Adventures ready. I even did an outline for the little fun book. 

I needed a project to do while this world is raging with so much angst and upheaval.

Be well, be safe.

Enjoy life as you can.

A very busy week...

There is Morel Hunting.
It has been a tough year. The south hillsides were so dry that there were nearly none.
My mornings have been starting with Morel Hunting and Charlie hiking.

The best time for me to do CrossFit is around 8AM. Rich is generally still asleep and I am ready to do something other than read the news.

Most of the chores are pretty simple, I rotate the mules and check their water.
[I am hoping to have the 4 wheeler issue resolved before I start riding the trails again. So I am waiting.]

Below is a photo of me doing my Home Virtual CrossFit workout for Friday. I thought it would make an interesting shot. Handy to have a smart phone that puts the little camera on a timer!

Yesterda was a pretty nice cardio workout. My 800 yard run included a very steep hill! No matter, once I get back to the nice flat streets of the gym it will be easy peasy!

Charlie.
Still supervising most things from his perch on the bench. I can work in the veggie garden or flower garden and he always ends back up on the bench just watching over his yard and pasture.

I did get my hike in with Bill last Thursday. I took him to Black Hawk Rock.
I think Bill loved this hike the best so far, I think I can tell by the number of Wows, I kept hearing.

Bill took a photo of me leading him up the trail.

Nice of him to take these with his cell phone.

The garden is just about all set. I even planted acorn squash in one of the winter pens. Seems they like to grow there anyway even with a mule walking around them. Last year I had squash growing from an old soft squash I'd tossed out in the pasture the winter before!

Mother Nature sure is interesting.

My hair. Hmm. Guess it is in the messy stage of growing out and no one is around to look at it besides Rich and I.
Warm weather has hit and it was muggy and foggy the past two mornings when I went out to check on the mules.

Tourism has hit our town and our town is doing its best it can. It needs visitors and tourism to survive. There is a whole 'thing' going on about Social Distancing and Masking. 

Rich's concentrator quit over night and thankfully the company had someone on call who brought one out and swapped it. The fellow came from Iowa. He did NOT wear a mask entering the house. He did have gloves on. I wore a mask and sent Rich out on the porch to stay out of the 'air'. 

Am I being paranoid? 

I opened up the house and let the warm muggy breeze air things out for a bit before I let Rich back in.

Tsk tsk, I said something and the tech said that they don't have to wear masks in Iowa. 

Well.

That is where I am ending this catch up. 

I will email the company and inquire about their use of masks and protocols for visiting patients they supply oxygen supplies to. I mean, really? 

I guess I know that it is inevitable that one day this virus will knock on my door.

Today is full of phone calls and other things to sort out. Rich has an appointment this week for a Nuclear Bone Scan.

I imagine I will be left out in the parking lot for the duration.

Virtual CrossFit Viroqua

When the gym closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak I was pretty bummed.

At first I was all ready to work out at home. I even went around and found things like post drivers, an anchor, and a carriage horse weight as substitute weights and a stall mat.
Then I hit a wall. I couldn't get motivated. I'd walk past my jump rope and think, "Gosh I should work out."
Then I'd move on to something else.
Always something else.

My CrossFit shoes gave me a sad look the other day. Can shoes do that? No, I don't suppose they can. But there they were  ~~ sad shoes and a lonely jump rope.

70 days had passed since I'd been in a gym. For the first week I was frantic. How was I going to maintain everything I'd gained for the past year and a half? Gradually I stopped feeling guilty about it and tried to put it out of my mind.

I grew even more miserable as I noted my gym mates posting photos of their workouts. They were motivated, I wasn't. I.
Just.
Wasn't.

Then I got an email notice from Josh Brown of CrossFit Viroqua. He was reaching out to see how I was doing. Our State was opening up yet I wasn't sure I could deal with being in a gym setting quite yet.

We met on Tuesday via Zoom [I'm pretty sure I stink at some of the tech stuff, Josh could only hear me.]

We talked about my goals and expectations. He asked what I had around the farm that we could make into substitute items for weights.
Post drivers
Tire Rims
Hay bale spears
Anchors

You get the idea.

This morning I got a message:
Beyond the Whiteboard
It was Josh explaining the WOD [workout of the day] and how I could modify it to work for my situation at home.

The first thing I did was sit there and hold onto my cup of coffee and do nothing.Then I reminded myself that I was the only person who could take myself to the Virtual Gym or in my case, my side yard.
And besides that, I heard Josh's voice telling me quietly, "You can do this Val."

Charlie was curious as I dragged out the mat and set a timer for a 5 minute jump rope warm up.

I started the clock and did the 15-12-9-6-3 reps for time:
Kettle Bell Goblet Squat
Kettle Bell Swing
400 meter run

I admit it felt weird and during the first 400 meters of running I had to chase the dog down and call him back after he took after a squirrel. But it all felt good.
I could have gone with a heavier weight, like the anchor, however I wasn't sure how my body would do after such a long leave.

[From the mat to mid hill on the driveway is about 100 meters I think. I will actually measure it out today but I didn't want to put off my first workout any longer.]

Josh's message this morning asked me to let him know how it went.

It went well. In fact doing it in an open air atmosphere was rather nice. Being held accountable was even better.

I feel invigorated, hopeful, and encouraged. I have some things to sort out. Like how to work out when it rains but I'll get there.

Most of all?
I feel inspired again. My shoes were happy. My jump rope was no longer lonely.

And I am back to working out with CrossFit thanks to a great coach.