Cronut crazy!

Puppy is in the most snuggle pot mood at the moment. I think it is the freezing ridiculous winter temperature. Man of the House and Puppy have been loving their couch naps.

Man of the House felt I needed some treats and bought me the coolest compression gear I have seen. I cannot wait to test it on Saturday.

He also bought me a super cool pink visor. Partly to benefit him so he can spot me in the crowd at races but also because he knows how much I love pink!

I have discovered how slow I truly am. Yesterday at CrossFit we had a 3km run as part of the WOD. I was one of the slowest but managed it in around 15 minutes or so. Meaning 5 minutes per km which is my fastest yet.

They followed it with an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) to take it to a 30 minute WOD. It was 5 dead lifts, 20 double unders, 5 handstand push ups and 20 full sit ups.

I managed 5 rounds of those. They work you hard! I also discovered I suck at dead lifts and aim to improve ASAP.

Today was a 12 minute WOD with 2 snatches and then alternating box jumps and toes to bar each minute. Which in my case is step ups and knees to chest. I’ll get there eventually.

So have we all heard of a Cronut yet? If not, check it out. I bet you are cursing me right now. Or at least let out a Homer style “d’oh”!

Yep. There is “crommotion” happening on the streets of New York. Why does Brisbane not invent such magical treats? Melbourne has been quick to get on board with Movida launching their version of the now trademarked Cronut.

Hipsters around Brisbane, I call on you to demand this heart attack pastry from your local patisserie so that we too may enjoy this sweet good. On a massive workout day. It has 15 grams of butter and like a gazillion grams of fat and sugar. I know. D’oh!

Lucky I also come with healthy ideas to make up for it! I cooked up a healthy chicken parmigiana last night with half a chicken breast, tomato paste and light ricotta. Served with a big old salad.

Tonight was Mediterranean pizza night with grilled eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomato, olives, yoghurt, mint and parsley on pita. Moderation people.

I bet you’re still thinking about Cronuts? Sorry…

Injury, fire alarms and garden beds

I have suffered my first CrossFit injury. Yes that is right. Second week in and bam. What’s wrong you ask?

I walked into the rowing machine. Yes, you read that correctly. No muscle damage from going too far, just uncoordinated me.

My life had been plagued with bruises from bumping into tables, chairs, benches and now rowing machines. So my shin is a little battered and bruised but I hardened up, didn’t shed a tear and started rowing. Tough as nails as they say.

The warm up was desperately needed this morning since it was a chilly eight degrees. I was frozen and thankful for the 400m jog, 30 squats, 30 push ups, 30 sit ups and 30 back extensions.

Then it was the WOD – Jacqui. A 1000m row (shin damage happened here), 50 thrusters (squat and then thrust a barbell over your head) and 30 pull ups. Then 3 rounds of 5 kettle bell press.

I managed it in 12.29 minutes. The pro males do it in about seven minutes. I probably could too if it wasn’t for my shin agony…

I recovered with some scrambled eggs and baked beans on toast. Loving my hot breakfasts this winter. Ate it directly in front of the heater. I would actually sit on the heater but pretty sure it would break or I would get burnt.

Warmed up at lunch with a 30 minute run in the city gym. Thirteen minutes in the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate. This annoyed me immensely as I missed about ten minutes of Ellen. Maybe caused by someone sitting on a heater?

Puppy greeted me in true ADD style when I got home and almost jumped on the kitchen table. I thought a quick walk may make my couch time actually possible.

So off we went. Puppy was on speed and it was more a jog than walk. Puppy spotted her favourite patch of grass (featured yesterday). She leapt for it. And kept leaping. So much so I lost control and quickly ended up in the garden bed with her. Plenty of peak hour passers by enjoyed the sight of me attempting to get a hold of Puppy and get myself out of the garden. Fun times for a Monday night.

I’ve replenished my protein and carbs with some soothing spag Bol for dinner. I firmly believe that a nice bowl of spag Bol could comfort anyone even on the worst days.

Like the days you get dragged into a garden bed by a seven month old puppy. A puppy who is currently snoring away. I guess that counts as a successful walk?

This is one of those days where I dust myself off, pick myself up and try again tomorrow!

Dirty like your mudder

I haven’t done a long run in a while and so decided to go at an easy pace yesterday. I also learnt at the Mother’s Day fun run that I have a competitive side and tend to get caught up in beating the crowd.

That’s fine for an 8km fun run but if I do that in the half marathon I will collapse at the 10km mark. So I took it really slow yesterday and managed 14km in 1 hour 40. I think this will be around my half marathon pace. I felt good and had more to give. I think….

I’ve also learnt the hardships of winter running. Smelling people cook a hot breakfast and smoke coming from chimney’s makes running in freezing weather all that more difficult.

But I kept at it and then cooked myself a breakfast burrito and a nice big coffee post run. I kept with the Mexican theme at lunch with left over enchiladas and salad. And a peanut butter choc chip cookie for lunch dessert. That’s how we roll on Saturday’s.

Man of the House had been away for work and flew in late last night. We celebrated with some greasy Chinese food. Garlic chicken and spicy pork and loads of fried rice. Can’t get enough. I washed mine down with a tasty beer from Little Creatures. And plenty of red wine.

I took Puppy on a big walk this morning to let Man of the House have a sleep in. Long grass is Puppy’s favourite and she jumps in every patch she finds along the way. She also fought with a real estate for sale sign and plenty of birds. Puppy is feeling the cold at night terribly and is up for lots of cuddles. Love.

Actioned some buttermilk pancakes with strawberries and banana this morning. Then we continued on the Chinese theme with homemade sweet and sour pork for dinner.

Man of the House and I have stupidly joined our friends in signing up for Tough Mudder. There will be 8 in our team. God only knows how we will survive it. It’s about 20km with 25 obstacles in between. Holy hell. Our team name is Dirty like your Mudder. It is all about teamwork apparently. And putting yourself through insane challenges in the process. Let’s hope the team can pull me through!

Happiest puppy in the world

Puppy was cooped up too long post operation so we decided to treat her to a day at puppy daycare. Man of the House had bought a 5 pack of day sessions so we have to use them up anyway.

She LOVE LOVE LOVES it there. She plays all day long. Non stop. I love it there too as they bathed her so she smells just lovely and she is asleep and not jumping on my head. Success!

I think puppy daycare like her too as they posted her twice on their Instagram page today. Love.

I had double success today, in the form of heaters. Puppy and I just about froze when getting ready for work today. We decided we could not possibly handle it one second longer and bought two heaters for the lounge and bedroom.

I bargained them down and scored both for $150! Normal price for two would have been $200. Double success!

I celebrated Friday with some quality fat for breakfast. Egg and avocado on toast. The best.

I bet you thought I had forgotten about the deliciousness of cheeseburger casserole. Not so my friends. Carbo loading was in order before my run tomorrow so cheeseburger casserole was on the menu for dinner. And garlic bread. Nom nom nom.

Scarf with pockets

Thank goodness for my scarf with pockets. I was positively frozen waiting for the bus this morning. It is by no means glamorous but my scarf with pockets had saved me on many occasions.

There is no way I could live anywhere that was not sub tropical. I would not survive. According to weatherzone it was 16.7 degrees. To me that equals frozen. So I promptly hit Target and scored myself a $55 saving on a wool and cashmere blend blanket. Win!

I knocked out a 6.8km run this morning. And some ab work. But holy smokes my abs are so sore from CrossFit! I had no idea as there is no such abs session, but lots of the exercises use your core. Hence the soreness and inability to laugh without feeling Ab burn.

Puppy is happy once again. Man of the House is her favourite as he has been taking her to the puppy park since we got the OK from the vet.

I’m pretty sure Puppy is his favourite female in the house too. It is lucky I feed them both otherwise I may be out on the cold streets.

We had a pretty tasty dinner the other night and I had enough for left overs for lunch today. I cooked up some beef sausages and roasted some kipfler potatoes, carrot and sweet potato in garlic and balsamic vinegar. Simple is often the best.

I took Puppy on a quick walk after work. The problem with after work walks is it is dark and I cannot see what random items she has picked up and eaten.

I made steak and chips and remembered how much I love that for dinner too! Puppy really loves TV as much as me, so after our steak dinners we hung out watching The Block.

Yay for Friday tomorrow!

Favourites

So on the days I do CrossFit I’ve noticed my sugar cravings do not surface. But after a hard run, give me carbs, lots and lots of carbs.

I did both workouts today. CrossFit was a 400 m run for a warm up followed by as much of the workout of the day (WOD) you could do in 8 minutes.

The (WOD) for me was 50 mountain climbers, 100 skipping, 40 lunges, 80 skipping, 30 push ups, 60 skipping, 20 wall balls, 40 skipping, 10 burpees, 20 skipping.

I got through up until 10 wall balls and they called time. Not too shabby.

Then it was your max back squat. I am terribly pathetic and managed 20kg. Woot! The girls I was with did 60kg. They’ve been going for a few months though.

Then at lunch I got a quick run in at my gym near work. Half an hour run in total plus some stretches equals a really great lunch break. The best bit was getting to watch Ellen and Dr Phil at lunch! My favourite TV shows ever.

Speaking of favourites, I’ve been getting into one of my favourite breakfast with banana on toast with ricotta. I like to drizzle it with honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Not one for those avoiding carbs.

Dinners have been pretty epic and tonight involved Mexican madness. I made enchiladas wrapped in cabbage leaves rather than tortilla’s just to get on the whole protein bandwagon. I topped them with cheese and avocado. Can’t get enough.

Happy hats off day

I totally could have stayed in bed this morning. It was so snug with the rain. I also could have stayed home from work and had a couch day but managed to haul myself out of bed, to CrossFit and then to work.

It was made a hell of a lot easier by knowing our team was going out to lunch at Public and a good friend was starting back after maternity leave. Yay!

So my verdict on Public? Can you say delicious?? Wow. My highlights were the wasabi squid, saltbush lamb, salt n vinegar fries and the beef brisket tortillas. Awesome Tuesday.

Back to workouts. CrossFit has introduced me to a whole new level of exhaustion. I think it is great for my running and long distance, even just to build up the mental strength to just keep going.

I am completely hooked and now don’t know how I am going to fit my running in. Although we did a bit of that today.

The work out was a 1000 m row, 800 m run, 50 full sit ups, 400 m run, 50 kettle bell swings and 50 deadlifts. Then one final deadlift at maximum capacity. I managed 45kg. Not bad for my first shot. Wimpy compared to the rest!

Yesterday was also super fun and involved as many reps in ten minutes of hang power cleans, one jerk, 10 box jumps (I did step ups). Then another round of 8 toes to bar, 2 wall climbs and 20 double unders (skipping in my case).

It is so varied, fun and totally exhausting!!! My arms feel so heavy! My core has never had a workout like it. And weirdly my armpits are sore? Not entirely sure they’re meant to be! In any case, I am addicted. I really must get some running in though.

I finally got my results for the Mother’s Day Classic and I scored a Personal Best! I ran the fastest I ever have with an average of 5.58 per km!!!!! I finished the 8km in 47.46 minutes. In November last year my average pace was 6.29 per km! I am so thrilled. This is why I need to fit in running!

The best part of today is Puppy finally got her cone head hat off! Well actually, she tore it off while we were at work. Then bit off the part that attaches to her collar to ensure cone could never fit back on!

But she also got the OK from vet so it is totally fine she managed to get it off. I’m surprised she lasted this long actually. Her patience has been wearing thin.

She is deliriously happy. Ecstatic in fact. When home from the vet she ran through the house and forgot to hit the brakes when she jumped on the bed and proceeded to fly off the other side.

Happy hats off day!