More on how this works later but...

My one and only New Years' Resolution...

is to practice living more simply.

Hello, 2010.

Here are some things I noticed...my year in PRs...

Some improvements:

DEADLIFT: I could do 175 x 3 once but it was totally rounded and I had to stop in between reps. I did 175 x 3 for 5 sets with a pretty good arch last week. It's not as good as I'd like it, but it's getting there. This is the one lift I'd REALLY like to get a LOT better at. I've been subbing it in all the time. The first time I pulled 200 was 4/11/09, 205 came on 4/26/09 but it was ugly and left me hurting. 5/13/09 was the first time I pulled 185 x 2 but felt rounding. 6/9/09 pulled 185 x 3 and didn't this either!

POWER CLEAN/CLEAN: Was cleaning 115 for singles on 1/5/09, couldn't get 125 cause I had no idea what I was doing after I pulled it. About a month ago (11/12/09) I got 135 - though I have no idea whether it was power or squat. I also did a WOD about a month ago with 63 115lb. power cleans. Booya.

JERK: Push Jerked 120 on 2/25/09 but pressed it out. Later in the year did 125 like an actual jerk and not push press. I guess on 3/18/09 I split under 135 easily. I should try that again sometime cause it sounds like it would be FUUUUUUN. Still have to do some heavy sets here. Haven't maxed in a while.

SNATCH: Altogether a much more confident movement. I couldn't confidently snatch more than 75lbs. on 1/30/09. I hit 95lbs. after a beer before even doing PMENU and I haven't been able to replicate it since... but I have been able to snatch 90 for a single multiple times (last week) even while my shoulders were absolutely exhausted (a really good sign).

FRONT SQUAT: I've been really stuck at 155 x 3, with a previous single of 170 for a while now. I just don't seem to challenge myself much when the day to do strength stuff comes around. The definitely has to start changing.

BACK SQUAT: 1/25/09 - I thought I hit 190 to parallel and apparently I did 175 x 3 on 3/15/09 and on 4/19/09. Weird that I had no idea - and REALLY bad. Also I guess I thought I did 195 around 4/11/09. But I'm not sure cause no one watched me - whereas with the more recent one, everyone was watching. Last Sunday I got a solid 195 not even in the cage (which is a huge accomplishment for me as I typically freak out when I don't feel I can bail by sitting down). I've also been able to actually do 145lbs. 23 times in 3 minutes out of the cage as well - that feels good but I know it can be better.

OVERHEAD SQUAT: Apparently on 1/15/09 I did 115 x 3. Interesting cause I really thought my max was 115 for a single (the last time I tried it - a few months ago - that's all I got). I'm curious to play around the a different positioning of the shoulders and better mobility and see how far along I can get with this. At some point I'd still really love to head toward 15x bodyweight. I'm also now able to do 95 x 12 and 85 x 15 without too much horrible wrist pain. That is something I NEVER would have been able to do last year.

PULL-UPS (KIPPING, WEIGHTED, and DEADHANG): Deadhangs have become much more dependable. Fresh I could only do 4 pronated in January. I can now do 5 pretty dependably and at least 6 supinated. Kipping has become just insane. Much better height over all - better form, I think too. And after lifting and then not eating I strung 18 together on an inch and a quarter bar. Have to test on the inch bar and hope my hands don't rip apart! Weighted-wise 15lbs. is much easier (10/20/09) but 20-25lbs. is still feeling pretty undoable. I think I probably do need to work on deadhangs on the rings more than anything, especially while using false grip. I'd also still love to get 10 deadhangs at some point. Maybe this is the year? :) Also - 2/18/09 on "Death by Pullups" I got 9 rounds and then on 11/6/09 I got 11 plus 11 on the inch and a quarter.

MUSCLE-UP: Well. I got one (12/3/09). If only I could keep it! I haven't been able to do one since the week I got it but I think it's because I'm still due for a lot of strength work out of the dip and through the transition. I need to give my shoulders time because they've been doing a LOT of gymnastics stuff lately.

RING DIPS: Couldn't do one in January. Pavel definitely helped me get one a few months ago! Now I can string together at least 5 on a max effort and use them in WODs. I hope to be able to be lighter and better at these by next year. They will help a lot of things!

BB TURKISH GET UP: My ancient nemesis :) In January I had to dump 70. 65 happens more easily now - but 70 I still haven't been able to get. That definitely would be worth doing at some point. I love this lift.

PRESS and SANDBAG PRESS: 2/7/09 Could put the 75 over my head but never the 100. Then - on 4/15/09 I got the hundy. Don't know if I could do it now! My press hasn't gone much of anywhere lately but 3/10/09 I had 90 and on 4/11/09 I pressed 95 but it was SLOW.

PUSH PRESS: 105 x 3 on 6/8/09, 115 x 3 on 6/20/09

RUNNING: I'm still a crappy runner though I'm not as afraid of it as I used to be - but I'm hoping to do more barefoot hill running when the weather warms up a tad and - in February I discovered Rage Against the Machine and ran a sub 8 minute mile for the first time since I was like 6 years old. That's got to count for something! I also ran my first structured 5k in 3008 minutes and oh yeah - there was that little 6.2 mile run through the mud in September. That could definitely be better. Not all out running but on a track: 400m, 1:39 on 7/12/09, 17s 100m.

ROWING: My split during WODs is only just starting to get better... and Greengas and Alyson have made me brave or stupid (I can't decide) and I no longer fear the long row (did 2 5ks in 3 days this past week, and 1500m and a 2k a couple times this year). 2k row on 5/29/09 was 936. Tabata Row on 8/3/09 was 771m

DOUBLE UNDERS: 2/12/09 First one. :) Now I can do them in a WOD and string more than 20 together.

BOX JUMP: At least 31 inches on 6/21/09

"ELIZABETH": 1/30/09 done with a 50lb. sandbag and zercher catch + pushups in 10 minutes. Now I do this rx'd both with a 75lb. sandbag or a squat clean with 95lb. barbell in (respectively) 32 and 28 minutes. It'll be much better next time for sure because real ring dips are an entirely new thing to me and I've been practicing! Power Elizabeth with purple band ring dips was 1100 on 4/30/09.

"SANDY FRAN" and other Fran variations: (21-15-9 75lb. sandbag thrusters alternated with inch and a half thick pullups) 2/11/09 did it in 24:17 and on 11/18/09 did it in 1840 (probably my favorite PR of the whole year) ; Did Fran with 95lb. BB a day later in 20 minutes. Ha. 10/12/09 - first WOD ever with Denise T. o.m.g. Barbell Fran in 1014, clavicle to bar. SO out of shape.

"HELEN": 3/1/09 - 1415. ugh. I have discovered that kettlebell stuff is a HUGE weakness for me. "Sandy" on 4/17/09 took me 1908 with a 25lb. sandbag and chest to bar pullups.

"GRACE": 5/8/09 - Ha! RB's first day at the Tribe. I estimate sub 7 on a power clean and jerk 95lb. Grace, 7/16/09 - 643 Power Clean and Jerk at 95lbs.

"JACKIE": 3/6/09 - 1334, 6/5/09 - 1536, 12/17/09 - 1330

"MURPH": 3/20/09 - 5 rounds of Cindy away + a mile from finishing in 58 minutes ; 5/5/09 began with 3 mile run. Finished in 1 hour 33 min.

"NICOLE": 3/30/09 - as with most of the running WODs, I'm kind of stuck. Did this and didn't PR on this day with 7 rounds and 51 pullups which was 10 reps shy of my last time.

"NANCY" - 4/5/09 - 2409

"DT" - @ 95lbs. in 2030 on 4/16/09, 7/24/09 2005 with Ross at 6am.

"FILTHY FIFTIES" - 4/19/09 45 minutes and got to 32 wallballs - didn't do everything rx'd, 7/27/09 in 5730 arms fully extended on pullups, 11/22/09 4329 with easier pullups and everything as rx'd except the back x.

"CINDY" - PR from 12/21/08 is 11 + 6 pushups that were not chest to bar.

"TABATA SOMETHING ELSE" - 228 (ab wheel)

"ANGIE" - 11/16/09 3159

SLEEP/RECOVERY: Hmm - whatwith the stress and work of this year I'd say I started off at about a 0 (I fainted in the gym in January due to just TOO MUCH of everything) and am currently hovering around a 6. More will change in the next month or so that will make all of this a little better. I'm REALLY looking forward to it.

INJURIES I HAVE SUSTAINED:

1/25/09 Weird wrist from doing something weird with sandbags (hyperextending my weak one I think - resolved with rest).

6/20/09 Continued pulling immediately medial and underneath my right scapula (levator scap, I'm pretty sure). Probably from too much arm pulling in cleans or other lifts. Resolves itself with ice and tennis ball rolling of more than just the area. Eventually I believe this effects my neck a few months from then.

7/5/09 Not an injury but worth recording - got a 5 day flu (102 degree fever at worst) and slept for like 72 hours to fix it.

9/26/09 post Long Mud Run had a little bit of a hyperextended ankle, iced and stretched and good as new within a few days.

10/7/09 A 5k plus many, many stupid hours of late night tennis somehow pulled sacral discs out of whack by not stretching after so much unfamiliar movement (running laterally). Pretty debilitating and really scary at first cause I couldn't walk really. Fixed by resting... begging Doctor Val to take care of me - and then doing tons of soft tissue stuff and stretching to get things back in line. Whew.

10/22/09 Kind of tweaked my neck doing ring dips in Elizabeth for the first time... and then practicing muscle ups. To be expected. Val fixed me and said my first rib was stuck up and that that was actually pretty normal.

MOBILITY: Can hold a german hang comfortably as of August. That's new. My left glute is constantly tighter than my right and my right hip flexor is tighter than my left. Erg... T-spine posture feels like it has improved which is helping my shoulders as well. I would love to be able to hold a split on both sides.

NUTRITION: The biggest thing I've learned about eating is that I can't be afraid to slip up - and I can't think that one meal will keep me from being lean. Eating local whole foods in season pretty much solve everyone's problems coupled with some testing on proportions. Pre-workout nutrition has become much more important to me than post. I've also learned that I do great with potatoes, squash, and other starchier carbs - and that, with all the stuff I do in a day, I need them as efficient source of energy that isn't as energy dense as fats. I also don't have NEARLY as much caffeine as I used to and it feels much better.

Sometimes - life just hands you a break and you have to say...

THANK YOU.

Man, do I love snow...

Ahhhh!!!!

Feeling like I'm going to freak out. UGH.

These days are too long. 5 12+ hour days. And there's just too much going on and no time to even think about it.

Sigh.

Potential.

"In the depths of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." - Albert Camus

3 Candles, Accidents.

"Over the years I have developed a picture of what a human being living humanely is like. She is a person who understands, values and develops her body, finding it beautiful and useful; a person who is real and is willing to take risks, to be creative, to manifest competence, to change when the situation calls for it, and to find ways to accommodate to what is new and different, keeping that part of the old that is still useful and discarding what is not."

-- Virginia Satir

To be this intentional in life is difficult. Really difficult. To know what is best for yourself is very hard. To act on what you know, harder.

It takes a certain pragmatism, an ability to imagine objectivity to the thing that is most subjective: your life.

I am slow to remember that every day is a gift. That every moment I live and breathe is precious because it is singular, every moment, a risk.

I used to think that the idea that "there are no accidents" was an absolutely ridiculous notion. If there are no accidents then everything is intentional, plotted, and conceived. I failed to realize that the opposite of an accident is pretty much something predictable...

and none of life is this way.

So if things are not predictable, than they must be something else - and that is, accidental.

We don't get a guarantee on anything...and so EVERYTHING is therefore accidental, surprising, or...everything has a purpose, has meaning, and repercussions.

I'm only thinking...because my schedule permits the throbbing of day after day with no realization of what it is I'm really doing; that is to say... moving through water, making waves, creating accidents everywhere.

And so I think, we cannot feel forever horrible for the things that happen to us, because we were silly to believe ourselves guaranteed otherwise. We can be grateful for the right kind of accidents, hopeful for a better bigger picture. There are no happy endings, only accidents we want, and accidents we don't want.

I figure the really hard thing is accepting either,

then choosing to learn from it,

then actually learning.