{work it baby}

Work it! That's what I have been doing in the gym. In fact, two-three days per week I am doing two-a-day workouts. My chiropractor and fellow athlete asked me "Why two-a-days? Are you making up for lost time?" No, I wouldn't say I am making up for lost time. I am just impatient and I want to get to where I was before and get there as soon as I can, but only as fast as my body will let me. I have lost time in the gym. I'm not going to get that time back. So, I make the best of the time that I have in the gym. I have the luxury of being able to hit the gym twice a day a few days a week. I have a coach that knows what I need to do and what I am capable of to get my strength back. I have the desire to be stronger than I was before. I have "the strength to rise". But, on the road to every rise there are speedbumps. :( Fortunately, for me I may be hitting my first speedbump. About ten days ago while doing pullups I started to have some new pain right at the site where one of my hernias was repaired. I'm wondering if I may have tore one open again. Ugh! I had a quick chat with my coach to see if he thinks I tried coming back too hard. He didn't think so. I haven't been moving a crazy amount of weight. I'm avoiding the movements that my surgeon said she wanted me to stay away from for a couple more weeks. I'm listening to my body and I listen closely. I take an extra rest day when I need it and I avoid a movement if it doesn't feel right even if it felt right the day before. In fact, my belly started hurting doing a movement that my surgeon said would be okay. I'm hoping it is just some tightness from scar tissue starting to stretch out with new movements and I'm worrying about nothing. I will find out on Tuesday when I pay an early visit to my surgeon at 11 weeks post surgery. I'm saying many little prayers that I won't have to have another surgery to repair another hernia. So tomorrow I will workout like I have been, carefully and mindful of what my body is telling me.

So, I have my workout journal sitting beside me so I can update my last ten days in the gym. Our workout journals are a great tool to our success in the gym and are kept in a file cabinet in the gym. Everyday we write down the date, the workout, what weight, box height or modifications we used, if the workout was scaled and our time if the workout was "for time". It is also a place to write down what was going on for the day in your world. Did you eat right? Did you eat crap for the day or the night before? Were you running on very little sleep? Anything else that you might find important for the day that may affect your workout. I also add what time I workout. All of this is important so when a workout comes back around in the gym you can look back and compare workouts to see how you have progressed over time. Last week I opened my journal and found it is also a place for a little special note from my hubby. :)

Read on for my workouts on my road back to before.

July 15, 2011
"Nutts" WOD #1
10- Dumbbell Press 15#
15-Deadlifts 95#
25 Box Jumps 18"time
25 Pullups
100 - Front squats 15# (last 40 reps I did thrusters)
200 - Double Unders
400m run
19:31

WOD #2 "Press Ladder"
Dumbbell Press 10 reps
5-8-10-15-20-25(2)
Dumbbell Push Press 8 reps
15-20-25-30(6)

July 18, 2011
WOD #1
On top of the minute 3 burpees- complete 75 thrusters, 45#.
7:43

WOD #2
Deadlift
10 reps @ 75#
8 reps @ 95#
6 reps @ 135#
4 reps @ 155#
3x3 reps @ 165#

July 19, 2011
Back Squats #115
5-5-5-5-5
Bent Over Row
12-12-12-12
65#-70#-70#-70#
Straight Leg Deadlift
8-8-8-8-
95#-95#-105#-115#

July 23, 2011
WOD #1
Snatch Balance
3-3-3-3-3
45#-50#-55#-65#-65#
then:
30 situps
30 double unders
3 rounds for time: 3:50

WOD #2
Dumbbell Bench Press Ladder-feet up
10 reps
10#-15#-20#-25#-30#

July 24, 2011
Outrigger Canoe Rowing at Whitefish Beach!!!
Gorgeous sunny day with great people!!

{bake'n eggs}

Time for a new recipe. I made these for the first time quite awhile ago and just made them for the second time tonight. I came across this recipe in a kid's cookbook by DK Publishing, "Kid's Fun and Healthy Cookbook".

Most of this cookbook is irrelevant to our family. Though the recipes are fun, nearly all of them aren't considered healthy by what we generally eat. We really try our best to avoid grains, legumes and dairy in our diet. Following a Paleo diet that is closely followed by the CrossFit community. However, this cookbook is easy and fun for kids to use and this recipe was perfect and just like the cookbook boasted, fun!

Baked Eggs and Ham

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush four holes of a large muffin tin with a little oil. This prevents the ham from sticking.

Arrange a slice of ham in each hole. Carefully tirm the slices to make them even, but make sure that the ham is still slightly above the edge of the tin.

One by one, crack an egg into a small bowl and pour it into each ham-lined hollow. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the egg has set. BLOGGER NOTE: I had to bake these at least 20 minutes for the white to be totally firm. Any kind of egg white slime gives me the heebie-jeebies! Ugh!

Using oven mitts, remove the tray from the oven and leave it to cool for a few mintues. Carefully lift out the egg cups with a small spatula. Belly up and enjoy!

These pics were from the first batch I made awhile back. As you can see I have "blackened ham" which isn't quite the culinary treat as "blackened salmon". I baked these in my top oven which is small and the ham was pretty close to the element so the ham got pretty crispy. The second batch I made the other night turned out perfectly in my full-size oven.

{here we go}

Part of my plan for this blog was to document my workouts on my road back to "before" in the gym. I searched high and low on the internet trying to find good info and training guidelines for recovery after a mastectomy and reconstruction. In all of my research I came across ONE article about a fellow CrossFit athlete that was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 32. Her cancer was more advanced than mine. She had a mastectomy, lymph node removal and started chemo three weeks later. She had reconstruction done a year later. Before my first surgery I emailed her and she emailed me right back with very encouraging words and directed me to her blog, Living Strong: Staying CrossFit, Healthy and Cancer Free. She documented her workouts from the very beginning of her recovery. I have to say I failed in this regard. I had planned to do the same thing and fell short. That's okay. I am going to slowly post my workouts starting after my first surgery and then do a separate post with links to those series of blog posts. So if you are here looking for these workouts please be patient and look for a link to those workouts on the right side of my blog.

For now I am going to start with my first workout post-surgery #2. My second surgery was a little bit more involved than I had originally anticipated. I had a couple small hernias near my belly button and my ab muscles had separated with my first pregnancy so while I was under for the second stage of my reconstruction my surgeon fixed all that up for me. She repaired the hernias, sutured my ab muscles back together and she did liposuction on my abdomen to redistribute around my implants to soften up there appearance. Let me quickly say that this part of my reconstruction was the best thing that was done. I think this made me the most comfortable and pleased with my new body and that is a huge thing. With all the additional ab work I couldn't workout at all until six weeks post surgery. (Had it not been for the works on my abs I would have been back in the gym about a week post-surgery.) That was a BRUTAL wait! So, my workouts started then. Well, about "then". :) I snuck back to the gym three days before the six week mark. I couldn't stand it anymore.

At my six week appointment I was given the okay to workout avoiding specific chest and ab movements for another couple weeks. Per an email exchange with my surgeon she also said no heavy weight overhead and no movements that put a strong contraction on my pecs. Coach said we are going to start with just getting my body moving again. I won't go great guns until September. Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness month in October and "Grace". :)

During my workouts I wear a compression sleeve on my left arm where lymph nodes were removed during my mastecomy. Wearing the sleeve is a precautionary measure to help prevent lymphedema. Lymphedema can occur when the lymph system has been damaged or compromised. In the case of breast cancer, when some or all of the lymph nodes have been removed to test if the cancer has spread or to remove infected lymph nodes. I bought a sleeve locally at a medical equipment store. It is your basic "granny beige" color. It does the job, but is ugly so I did a little searching online and found something a bit more my style! :) Please, ladies, don't give into ordinary and boring!!

Read on for the workouts. If you aren't interested in the workouts, please go about your day. :)

June 17, 2011
First day back in the gym after surgery #2
5 weeks, 4 days post surgery

3rd CrossFit Regionals WOD
Deadlifts-10 lb bar
Box steps-18" box
21-15-9
Felt SO good to move not just watch!

June 18, 2011
20 box steps - 18"
200m run
30 squats
200m run
60 singles jumps + 10 double unders
200m run
5 knee pushups
200m run
For time: 8:28

June 20, 2011
Snatch- 10#
Jumping Chest-to-Bar pullups
21-15-9
For time: 10:20

June 21, 2011
In warm up:
Overhead Squats
5-5-5
15-20-30
WOD:
Back Squats
5-5-5-5-5
65-70-75-80-85
Then:
Dumbbell Push Press Ladder
10 reps each weight until you can't move on
5-10-15-20-25 (3 reps)

June 24, 2011
"The Filthy 50s"
scaled to 30 reps each
Box Jumps-18" box (did 40 reps)
Jumping Pullups
Dumbbell Swings 15#
Walking lunges
Knees Raises on the pullup bar
Push Press 20#
GHD Hip Extentions
Wall Ball Shots 6#
Plank Burpees
(Burpees not dropping all the way to the floor only to a plank position to avoid the pushup and direct work to my pecs)
Double Unders
For time: 15:36

June 25, 2011
Bent over row 1/2 body weight goal 65# (this was half my body weight!!)
12-12-12-12
Deadlift - body weight goal 115#
9-9-9-9
Dumbbell Press Both arms, then alternate 10#
6-6-6-6
Sled Pull 2x120' 145#
HSPUs - to 2 abmats
6-6-6-6
Great lift day!!!

June 27, 2011
"Fight Gone Bad"
3 rounds
1 minute each movement, rest one minute between rounds

Wall Ball Shots 6# 31-25-27
Deadlift High Pulls 45# 23-19-20
Box Jumps 12" 20-21-21
Push Press 30# 26-26-27
Row (for calories) 13-11-14
Total: 324

12 Day Vacation-Did a few workouts while on vacation. Mostly I read and got a tan. :)

June 30, 2011
Front Squat
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3
45-50-55-60-65-70-75-80
Then:
10 Dumbbell swings 15#
15 Push Press 25#
20 Good mornings
3 rounds

July 1, 2011
1-1 1/4 mile run

July 5, 2011
15 ring rows
20 plank burpees
30 dumbbell swings 15#
30 dumbbell push press 10#
60 Double Unders
70 squats
80 walking lunges

July 10, 2011
2 mile run - 18:31

Back home in the gym-Tan and ready to fully move forward!!!

July 11, 2011
Press 1-1-1-1-1
Push Press 3-3-3-3-3
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5
30-35-40-45-50

July 12, 2011
"Fran"
Thrusters 30#
Toes-2-Bar - I did T2B for the set of 21 and about 8 of the 15 and then finished up with pullups.
21-15-9
For time: 6:31

July 13, 2011
Today I started two a days MWF. I will do a metcon and a lift of some sort on these days.
WOD #1
"Helen"
400m run
21 dumbbell swings
12 ring rows
3 rounds for time: 13:14

WOD #2
Back squat
10-10-10-10-10
45-55-65-75-85

{gentlemen, start your engines}

On June 21st I had my six week appointment with my plastic surgeon and I was given the okay to workout with some lingering restrictions. No movements that specifically target my abs or chest, but I could go overhead. She said, no crunches (um, what are crunches?) and no bench press (um, we don't really bench press). So this has been the problem with tackling workouts in the gym through this process of recovering after both of my surgeries. Since we don't work out like you would in a typical gym it is hard to determine what exactly can I do? We do functional movements. We use our entire body. We usually don't target a specific muscle or muscle group unless it is a lift day, which isn't as often as a metcon day (metcon=metabolic conditioning). So I leave most of this problem solving up to my coach and I listen to my body. Coach said that to start with we are just going to work on getting my body moving again. I will be gaining strength at the same time, but I won't be working with heavy weight. I can't put a lot of weight overhead for a few more weeks, but I have lost so much upper body strength that I can't anyways so that isn't a problem. Just getting my body moving again and regaining flexibility is key. I have noticed that I have to remind all my body parts how to work together again. Box jumps feel clumsy. Double unders feel a little out of control. I've lost core strength so overhead squats and snatch work feels wobbly. Everything just has to learn to work together again.

So as of today I am finally back in the gym full on. I had a little teaser week of being able to workout before we went on vacation and we worked out a couple times while we were gone, but today I am back without interruptions. No long vacations coming up, no prior commitments, just time in the gym. My main goal for the next year is to regain my strength, get back to where I was before and actually aim higher than that. I want to be able to do the sectional workouts, PR on "Grace" and do "Amanda" straight up. "Amanda" is going to take awhile. I think she will be the last to get checked off my list. I'm not sure that the sectional workouts will happen next year, but that's okay. I will judge and count again. "Grace"...I think I will see that PR first.

So my journey back to before begins. Like I said I had a bit of a teaser before we left on vacation for about two weeks. Don't tell my surgeon, but I actually put in three workouts before she gave me the okay. I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to move my body and I was tired of watching workouts everyday in the gym. I needed to be a part of it again. I feel like for six months I have been left behind while everybody else moved forward. My legs ached from so little activity. My body is used to so much more. So, I went back three workouts early. Coach came over to me while I was warming up and said, "So, tell me what the doctor said." "Umm, well, I don't see her until Tuesday." :) I moved, used little weight and listened to my body for those three workouts and didn't hurt anything. After I was given the go ahead to start working out I sent my surgeon a message and asked her what exactly was being protected by not doing specific chest exercises. I asked so that we could better determine what I could and couldn't do in the gym. So she would understand what we do in the gym and how we workout I sent her the following video. It isn't our gym, but it was a great video showing CrossFit women doing what we do best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8NXbnZMqdE&feature=related

Here was part of the response I got. :)

"Awesome! Even worse than I was afraid of :) Definitely yes to PT and massage now..... It will be 6 more weeks before you should be doing THAT kind of arm lifting/ chest workouts....if you even can--- it will take a number of months to build up again.... What happened to 10# dumbbells and water aerobics.....why don't you scrapbook and make some f-ing curtains like normal women ???? Just kidding....you're doing it all RIGHT!"

Well...said "normal" women and those 10# weights and water aerobics is why I haven't been able to find good information for coming back after a mastectomy and reconstruction for somebody who works out hard and was pretty darn strong when being diagnosed with breast cancer. I think I was stronger and more fit than the general population. From what I have read and was told, many women accept tightness, less strength and limitations as their new "normal". No thank you. This new "normal" isn't acceptable. I lost something when I was diagnosed with cancer, but it wasn't my ability to be strong again. To squat 235 again, to do "Fran" again at a pace that makes me want to puke, to run a 24:00 5K again, to do muscle ups again, to do whatever I want again. I won't accept the aftermath of a mastectomy and reconstruction as the end of my limits. I already know it is going to be a long journey with lots of hard work involved to get back to where I was before. But, I choose that journey because it is better than the purgatory of cancer and surgery that I have been in. I am finally at a point where I get to fully move forward. I am not waiting for the next surgery, my movements aren't really restricted, I don't have weight restrictions, my range of motion isn't limited. So move forward is exactly what I intend to do. I've been given the green flag and I'm going to run with it. I was going to say I plan to work until I come to the checkered flag, but you know what? I hope I never see that checkered flag because that signifies the end of the race and I don't plan to stop. Put a checkered flag on my grave, THAT is when I will stop working toward more for my body.

So, gentlemen, start your engines! The race is about to begin!