Figuring it out

Posted on October 27, 2014 by HaleyComet

I ended up taking 3 days off from the gym. It was hard, I desperately wanted to go. I was a “good” sore on Tuesday, but still feeling it. I decided to just do some KB stuff at home instead of driving to the gym for about 6 min of a modified workout. It wasn’t what I wanted to do, but in the end, I’m glad I did.

10/21: KB: lots of one arm snatches, SDHP, some swings

10/22: BACK AT THE GYM! WHOO! I made sure to eat enough calories on Tuesday and got 8hrs of sleep. I woke up and my legs felt…normal! I was mentally and physically ready.
I saw the posted WOD and while I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, I was so glad it wasn’t heavy lifting. I could have done it, but my legs appreciated the chipper. Still leg work with the rower, box jumps and burpees…but I can go a speed that is reasonable for my abilities. I think I paced this well and didn’t feel destroyed after.

click the pic to make it bigger

WOD: Time: 18:45. 2nd in my class. Overall, I came in middle-of-the-pack of all the women in the gym. Not bad. I’d like to rank higher since I know I’m capable of more, but I need to accept that this is where my body is at right now. My ranking DOES NOT MATTER at all; it means nothing. But, it’s great for me as I’m really enjoying the motivation it provides. Performance: my T2B were my limiter. Felt great on every other item. My arms and abs are weak…

10/23: Still feeling good! This means that I went the appropriate pace and intensity yesterday. I’d felt like I’d worked out, but I wasn’t incapacitated or overly sore.

Back squat reps, Amber borrowing my shoes.

WOD:
As K says, I’m good at scaling, knowing my limits, and what pace to go in most events or WODs. But this one, I didn’t know what to do. I *can* do handstand push ups (HSPU) against the wall, but to do 44 of them in a WOD that is supposed to be ‘fast and hard’ (says coach), it would take me foooreeevvveeeerrr. However, he agreed that scaling them on a box was waaaay too easy for me, it feels like I’m doing nothing. So, we set up bands to do them hanging from the bars. It was perfect for the WOD!

Now, my new gym friend (that is leaving this weekend,boo) is stronger than me. Not significantly, but in some areas, a good amount. In some areas, I’m better. She’s a good workout partner for me, I’m going to miss her. Anyway…I knew she was too strong to use a box for HSPU (I mean, this girl knocked out an almost 200lb back squat in warmup with no problem…), but she didn’t have the coordination to do a HSPU on the wall. She has never really practiced it. So, with my “encouragement” (shaming her that she was going to let fear dictate her workout…those are fighting words for military women…), I taught her how to get comfortable kicking up on the wall, then helped her get onto the bands for assisted. She was SO EXCITED! “Can you take pictures of me?! My friends won’t believe I finally did this!!” It was awesome. Here is this girl that has pushed me for the past 2 weeks to “lift more,” and she was so excited she could do something new. (I knew she could do it, she just needed the right pressure push and someone to tell her she could). We went about the same pace in the WOD, so I helped her kick up into the bands, then went back to my reps.

I share one of her very excited poses:

Like I said, she’s leaving the gym after this weekend. She’s Active Duty and was just here temporarily. Such is the military life: meeting awesome people, only to have them leave too soon. (and sometimes it’s better that way, before you learn too much.) As a parting gift, I sold her my lifting shoes she was raving over every day. I do love my Reebok Oly Lifter Plus shoes, but she needs them & can’t order her own. I hope the good Karma comes back to me in the form of finding some shoes on the same level on sale. If not, that’s ok as I can get another brand that is just as good for my abilities (which is “suck”, btw) that are cheaper.

After the WOD, the runner dog and I hit the trail for a short jog/walk in the swamp.
10/24: AWESOME DAY!
My arms were a little sore when I woke up, but not overly. A definite “good” sore. Tired as I woke up at 0430 for no reason, but other than that, no reason to take the day off. I think I’ll take off from CF Sat & Sun, then be ready to attack next week fresh! After overdoing it last week, recovering well, and going to the gym 3 days in a row…I’m glad of how this week went.
WOD:
Time: 15:53, 95lbs. (second female in the class. 1st girl did 45lbs). I beat my friend by a couple minutes! I was so excited. She’s just edged me out of all the WODs these 2 weeks. Sometimes, by just a couple seconds. Hang cleans were not her strength and she was tired. She went 1 extra day than I did this week. We had a great chat about it. My strength is coming back…quick. And the importance of her taking rest days.
Last week, I did just a COUPLE of 95lb hang cleans after the awesome strength WOD. This week, I did 45 of them in a WOD, with sore arms?! Oh, body, I love you.

Hurts so good.

Coach forgot to do pullup skill work before the WOD, so they did it after. I decided to use that time to torture myself on the Mobility balls.

10/25: rode bikes with my mom, 1hr. She decided to take her beach cruiser off road to let runner dog run safely in the grass away from the path.
10/26: I woke up and wanted to spring out of bed! I thought to myself, “Is it Monday?! How much time do I have before I have to leave for the gym?!” I was EXCITED. Then, sadly realized it was Sunday. Sigh. That has never happened.
So, I mowed the lawn! It’s work. Thus, part of a workout.

Stole this from Instagram. Love it.
Need to rest up for another big week! I can’t wait!

Food & rest days

Posted on October 21, 2014 by HaleyComet

It really sucked taking 2 days off, and my 3rd (today), I’m going to “open gym” and doing a workout more suited to not killing my quads.
READ: not doing the class because I’d go too hard and not scale enough because I can’t control myself.
I really wanted to go to the gym yesterday. I’m going to have to slow my roll and scale some of the workouts. I don’t want to since I technically *can* do most of them…but it’s not worth the pain, feeling like shit, and extra forced rest days. So, if I slow the hell down (or lighten the weights, duh) I can stick to a schedule I am happy with, rather than being upset that I suck. Sigh.

10/19: 45min AM walk.
10/20: 1hr AM walk.

Some things I’ve eaten this week:

‘sloppy joes’ over 1/2 sweet potato. They were really good. I added extra to make it spicier.

Some salads

Spinach, red pepper, tuna beets, carrots, celery, balsamic, and anything else I could find.

More sloppy joes, post WOD, pre-errands.

Scrambled eggs w/veggies (yellow pepper, garlic, onion, spinach)

So good!

Some squash soup (coconut milk, curry powder, broth, roasted squash, etc)

My hilariously pathetic attempt at a Sonoran dog, with guac.

Bacon-sorta-wrapped chicken sausage w/green shit

Extremely lazy lunch yesterday of ‘fried’ cheese with 1/2 Honeycrisp apple and 2 tbsp of NuttZo.

Looks gross.

Everything else is either boring or repeats of the above. I ate more bowls of the spaghetti squash and meat sauce from last week as well. My food is lasting forever now that I’m the only one eating it!

Oh my quad, Karen!

Posted on October 20, 2014 by HaleyComet

So last Wednesday was the amazing strength complex WOD. It went downhill from there. Back to the normal, “oh these workouts are so hard, they suck, is it over yet?…oh, that was amazing.”
10/17:
I knew 150 wall balls for benchmark “Karen” wasn’t the best idea on Friday (took the Thurs running WOD off), but I really wanted to do the benchmark. This will be extremely helpful later to track progress, despite just having done a bunch of snatches and cleans on Wed.

3, 2, 1…go!

I knew I could complete it Rx at 14lbs, but it wouldn’t be pretty. I’m so out of CrossFit shape. Coach and I went together in a second round as there weren’t enough 14lb balls. Ok, no big deal. So I did it. I didn’t go 100% as my legs were a little sore and I’m still fighting this damn head cold. I’d say I gave it 75-80%. My new buddy (sadly, only in town for vacation) was heckling me that I wasn’t sweating enough, but I was having a hard time breathing. I finished in 11:27. Fine. Whatever. It’s what I expected and I could still walk, so that’s a win. I can only get better from here!

(each mark is a set of 10, if you can’t do math)

After the WOD, my mom wanted to ride bikes. Sigh. Not a fan, but whatevs. It was a gorgeous day and I rode my old school single speed.

Mississippi River levee path

T-Bone is the best bike. Even though I don’t like riding bikes.

Saturday: Team WOD.

That’s 100 ROUNDS for time. We had a team of 4, so 25rds each. Don’t be fooled…each of us did 6 reps, with moderately heavy squat cleans, on average every 2minutes. Part of that time was spent going from the wall for the handstand pushup (HSPU) to the bar. Basically, not a lot of rest. I was breathing hard and working hard after about 10rds. It was quite the workout! I loved it.

Lots of hunching over to keep from dying.

Guess what doesn’t love the quad-heavy work on Wed, then the 150 squats (wall balls) on Friday, then MORE squat cleans on Sat? My quads. They HURT. Ouch, ouch. I couldn’t walk right yesterday! I had to use the wall to sit on the toilet! Oh, the pain.

So, what does this extreme soreness, DOMS, mean? It means I need it. It means, I’ll be stronger later!

Round. Round is a shape. And I don’t want to be round.
The bad news is that I’m suuuper sore (not really bad news). The good news is that my knee was pain-free this weekend! Even after all those squats and weights…yay! I’m hoping that strengthening the surrounding muscles, and the rest from uneven terrain, will keep this trend up. I will say it hurt doing jumping jacks, so I just didn’t do those. Hey, if something hurts, don’t do it! There’s still plenty you–and me–can do!

Update: I’m not going to the gym today. I really, reeeaaalllly want to as it’s two of my favorite things: running & thrusters. However, I know I’d push myself and considering I can barely squat right now, it’s probably best if I didn’t try to do 45 thrusters and 1.5mi of running. Sigh. I’ll do something at home instead. I’m to a point of functional soreness, so doing something to help loosen my legs is probably a a good idea. Damn, being “responsible” and “listening to my body” sucks sometimes.

I love CrossFit.

Posted on October 16, 2014 by HaleyComet

Yep. I went there. Sorry, not sorry. The Kool-Aid. I didn’t just drink it, I fell in the damn pool. As my friend TJ said, “well, that didn’t take long.”

I love, Love, LOVED the WOD yesterday. Right up my alley (“wheelhouse” would be appropriate here, but I hate that word. Please don’t use it. It’s awful.). I’m not the best weightlifter, but I’m decent for the average female. What helps is having a husband specializes in Strength & Conditioning who worked for US Olympic team coaches.
During warmup and practicing form, coach had us demo our movement one-by-one. Most of the women (there was only one man in the class) are beginners…I did mine and he exclaimed, “WHOA! PERFECT! Everyone, this is how you do it. Haley, do it again.” Hahaha. Now, snatch is NEVER perfect. One can almost always improve something about their form. But, compared to the others, it was pretty damn good.
When I told K about it, I said, “I knew you’d be proud!” He said he was, but he said he couldn’t wait to tell his old bosses. The learning. It’s good.

So, who doesn’t do CF (other than occasionally) for 1.5 years, goes back and gets called ‘perfect’? Hahaha. Nothing like a good day at CF to make one feel GREAT about yourself.*

*Side note: wait until a day where I can’t do any of the movements Rx (as prescribed). Then, I’ll feel shitty about myself. Good days and bad. Take them as they come.

Anyway, back to my perfect snatch. The main WOD was an EMOM (every minute, on the minute) snatch complex and then a clean complex.
Felt so.damn.good. My weights were not heavy. I’d say it was moderately heavy. The hang squat snatch was my limiter and since I could snatch and OHS at 75lbs, failing a couple times at the hang snatch was totally in my head. As always, our mental game keeps us from doing so much.

The woman I lifted with was awesome. She had an amazing OHS. So deep.
Yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to lift barefoot. She didn’t have lifting shoes or Chuck Taylors, and her running shoes were not appropriate. So, barefoot.

Ass to grass!

Full DB mode: knee socks, Lulu shorts, and bright lifters.

I’m also loving the WODify program. Many gyms use some kind of software like WODify or Beyond the White Board. This one ranks members by class, and overall for the day. One can see where they rank outside of the class they attended. I got 5th overall in weight for this WOD. Pretty good for starting over.
(Again, this was a strength of mine and I don’t do this to be the best. It’s just friendly competition, and I’m sure there will be days that I’m last.)

I would post a pic of my ranking, but the program shows last names and I’m not posting a screen shot of the other members’ names. So, you get my log:

I’m not going to CF today because it’s a running WOD. I really, really want to, as I’m always a strong runner at CF. Ten years of long distance pays off when most of these people don’t run. But, I’m resting my knee and sprinting 6 rds of 400m is probably not a good idea. I know I’d try to “win” and I need to leave my ego at home. At any gym we’ve belonged to, I’m usually the best at running WODs. If K is there, I come in second, only to him. Anyway. That’s not why I’m CF’ing, so I need to either do some conditioning at home with the sledgehammer and ropes, or take a rest day.

I will ride my high from yesterdays WOD until tomorrow, where I’m sure I’ll be brought down to earth with how out of shape I am. Today is not that day and I don’t need to be mad about a bum knee.

Hope you have a great day and do something that makes you feel great about yourself!

8 weeks: Back at the Box.

Posted on October 15, 2014 by HaleyComet

Over the river (Mississippi) and through the swamp…to CrossFit I go…

8 weeks. Just under 8 weeks until I see K again. I’m resting my knee: no trails. Uneven terrain seems to really aggravate it, so I’m being smart and avoiding my favorite place and races. 😦 No races until Nov. 29, and that one will be a week-of decision as it’s local. Officially, no events until Jan. when I have 3 planned. Even those I’ll be ok with cancelling as none of them are new states and don’t require more than a 1 night trip. Since I’m not doing any races, this is a short term goal to focus on. 8 weeks. Of course I’m not going to stop after that.

8 weeks: to kick my own ass.
8 weeks: to eat optimal food.
8 weeks: to MOVE. More.

I’m not going to step on a scale. I did that last week and it wasn’t pleasant. I don’t want, or need, to obsess over a number. I know a range in which I feel great, in which I look pretty good, and can perform pretty decently at CF and running with only half-assed training. But, bodies don’t always respond in the way we like them to, so no scale. If I do the above things, my body -and mind- will change for the better.

The gym is at the base of that big bridge I have to drive over. Big bridges over the Mississippi are a part of daily life here. Thus, the logo. (Sidenote: really not good for my pretty severe GEPHYROPHOBIA. I only have a problem with them over water. I know where it stems from -several incidents/witnessing accidents in childhood. I *HAVE* to cross bridges over water with my windows down and even then I still get a high HR and sweaty palms…also, my mom thinks it’s funny to email me news articles when bridges collapse in water.)
Now that I’ve given myself anxiety for the evening, lets move on. We all have our issues, ok?

Step 1: Workouts.

I FINALLY bit the bullet and paid for a membership. I’ve been dropping in to this box over the past month or two, actually maybe since August. Things kept coming up so I didn’t join: went to Ohio for 2 weeks, then Washington, then my knee hurt, then so on and so on…paid the registration ‘fee’ (covers WODify account and shirt) and did a discounted 6 month contract (with no-fees if we -hopefully- move at some point).

CFDB bag. Vibrams. Minimus. Reebok Oly Lifters. Jump Rope. Cute G WEAR tank.

The WOD:
10rds for time:
21 double-unders
7 ring dips
7 toe-to-bar
7 pistols

I scaled to 5 rounds. Time: 11:24.
I can’t do anything resembling a ring dip anymore without a band. I can’t do more than 1 toe-to-bar and I can almost do one pistol on my left leg only…my damn right knee is really starting to piss me off and it’s making me weak.
So. I’m starting somewhere (the bottom) and it’s really exciting. I’m actually ok with the current state of fitness affairs. At least I can still do a pullup, DU’s, handstands, and Olympic lifts. And I’m sure there is plenty more I can do. I’m not dwelling on what I can’t do anymore, because I know I will do them again. Probably sooner than later. We shall see tomorrow…

Food
Again, something I’m not going to obsess over. When I eat well, I feel great. The end. I don’t want to add pressure to myself and log everything, but if I attempt to, it will help me be more accountable.
Today:
Post WOD: spaghetti squash with ground beef and veggie sauce (leftovers). Bell pepper from the garden.
Lunch/Dinner: chicken salad over veggies, some chicken with sriracha, mayo & ketchup.

Not a food photographer.

Some bone broth

Nutrients.

There you have it.

Lets talk normal stuff.

Posted on September 29, 2014 by HaleyComet

Since I’ve been back from the Blerch, eating through Seattle, & Ohio, I’ve been craving vegetables and fish. Thankfully I stocked up the last time Whole Foods had wild caught salmon on sale. Some things I’ve eaten this week:

mushroom & truffle eggs

Shouldn’t have made the basil pesto look like a log of poo

And another meal of the same

Pesto didn’t turn out much better…

Didn’t even try this time.

Can I have some?

Finally something different

I could live off this.

My knee. Sigh. I’ve rested it a solid week now. Iced it religiously for 5 days, and no-so-religiously for 2-3. Today I tried some intervals (not fast sprints, just decent slower running in between kettlebell movements) and it wasn’t feeling great. Gggrrr. It’s becoming really annoying. It’s not painful enough that I think it’s a major tear or rupture (read: No way I’m going to the Dr), but I’m not used to feeling anything that uncomfortable when I run other than the normal muscle discomfort after 30-50miles. Yes, I know, I know, you can go ahead and hate me. So, what to do? Nothing of course. I think it just needs more rest. Unfortunately, I’ve got a double (2 marathons) this weekend. I should be able to make it through them fine considering I finished the Blerch the day after I fell, but it will probably be slow and less-than-~~fun~~ ideal. K will look at it and give it some sports med/trainer movements and try to narrow down what it may or may not be. Then, we’ll decide what to do. I’m getting around fine and obviously can still physically move/run, so I’m doing the healthy thing and will ignore it a while longer (and rest)!

While resting my knee, I worked my arms, shoulders, and back doing CropFit! Functional fitness, FTW!

This week I’ve completely redone the garden. I needed new dirt and the boxes had become overgrown. Then my wonderful fur children decided they NEEDED to hunt and dig something that had been living in there. My 2 year old rosemary that survived the harsh winter and a week of below-freezing temps (3 days in the 20’s!) was near death. Got that transplanted to a pot and went to work…

Before

Mess.

Dog damage

Fuckers.

During

Out with the old

Moving dirt.

Please let me play in it…PLEASE

Digging asshole

In charge

After
(the middle section isn’t finished, but that won’t be finished for a couple more days. This is close enough to finished)

Before I got this chicken wire fence up, the dogs ran thorough my rows, dug, and dug up 2 cauliflower. My carrot seeds were meticulously planted. I’d worked so hard for 4 days, for it to be destroyed in just a couple minutes. I was furious. Actually, furious doesn’t describe it. But, I’m hopeful. I threw in more seeds, said “fuck it” and the dogs knew they were in trouble. My uncle has carrots and beets sprouting already and when he thins his crops, we’re going to put some of his baby plants in my middle section. So…hopefully between what they didn’t destroy and the transplanting, I’ll have some strong crops. I’m really excited to have a TON of beets. I love them.

Carrots, beets, cauliflower, bok choi, cilantro, chard

Dog proof

After the dog drama, my mom and uncle both praised my extensive work and care to another uncle. I was floored. See, we’re not an overly praising family. (How I ended up independent and not really needy is beyond me.) My uncle is a master gardener and hunter and could (and mostly does) live off the land. He’s impressed and thinks it will do well. And my mom said, “Maybe that agriculture education at Texas A&M wasn’t a waste after all.” Ha. Gig’Em!

Hello…hello…is this thing on?

Posted on September 17, 2014 by HaleyComet

Delicious

It’s been a hectic 1.5 months since we got back from the trail. Nothing terrible, but not “normal,” whatever that is.

K was busy on the job hunt. We were supposed to go to the Pikes Peak marathon and have a nice, break from the heat, trip to Colorado. K ended up not being able to go due to interviews and work commitments, and I got sick. Really sick. It’s awful to think about, but I couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t walk. I deteriorated the whole week before I was supposed to leave (we had decided I was going alone, one of us should take the trip) culminating with a trip to the hospital the day before I was supposed to leave. So. There was no way I was running a marathon, much less one up to 14,000 ft. Anyway, I couldn’t function and was in horrendous pain. Fast forward a bit…we spent time in Ohio as a break from the heat, K could sail, I could get some hill training on the trails, see friends, and get some alone time.

Hard hills.

Big rocks and smells.

Safety first, little dog.

On the way I got another stamp on my National Parks Passport book. We camped at Mammoth Cave. I’ve always wanted to stop there, as we pass it every drive to/from Ohio. It is one of those things that we say, “We want to get going, we’ll stop next time.” And we never do. But we made the effort this time and it was worth it.

Mammoth Cave dork stamps and campsite.

So. Workouts! Now that most of my time is my own, I have no excuse. Before, I couldn’t justify going to a CrossFit box that was convenient, because K was working at one of the best facilities in the state. Unfortunately, that was an hour away and I loathe to drive an hour each way for a 1hr class. But, I also couldn’t justify paying for a place closer. Now, I can. I checked them out and it seems like it’ll do. Not the best, but the price is good and there are many class options and also “open gym” time for solo workouts or skill work.

9/16: (trying out a new box)
Time: 11:47, as Rx (35lbs)

I think that’s it for now. I know I’ve got some things I want to catch up on here, over time. Plenty to do today and tomorrow and a busy weekend! Now, time to do a workout.

Whole day 2 & 3

Posted on June 5, 2014 by HaleyComet

I’m really enjoying being home and not driving around. I have to go to Costco and Whole Foods and get some plants from the nursery…but I’ve been avoiding it all week. See, those places are almost an hour away so it takes a whole morning or afternoon. Blah. Thursday: I will go to Costco and Whole Foods! I’ve got plenty of food though, so I’m not in danger of being without HEALTHFUL options.

Day 2
AM: Tabata Airdyne + Tabata Battle Ropes. Ohsweetgeezus the battle rope was SO MUCH harder than the Airdyne. Now, I didn’t sandbag the Airdyne. It is difficult, but the ropes….ooof. My poor arms. Which means…great workout!
Food:
10 burpees: scrambled eggs & veggies, 2 pieces bacon
30 air squats: bowl of tom kha gai w/extra veggies
10 burpees, mountain climbers, plank: tuna salad (extra greens)
PM: 20 tire flips, practice forward rolls to box (tire) jumps, forward roll pistols (hahahaha, no bueno)
tastes of sesame zoodles (zucchini noodles). Zenbelly recipe.

My body is CRAVING greens. I’ve eaten a whole container of spring mix in 2 days. I’m totally ok with that.

Day 3:
AM: 1hr power walk
10 burpees: tom kha gai, 2 pieces bacon, 1/2 pear
20 KB swings, 2×20 “high knees”: alligator sausage (Yes, that’s right. Eat local! Eat Wild!) w/mustard & kraut, sesame zoodles, 1/2 sweet potato w/ghee & cinnamon. Yum. None of it looked great together, but individually…delicious.

Pre-kruat. Looks better that way.

10 KB snatch, 20 one-arm swings: alligator sausage w/mustard & kraut, carrots

With the kraut. Looks delicious, yes?

PM: National Run Day! 2 mile run. Splits: 9:19, 9:03. OOOF. This was really difficult. It was HOT (I probably shouldn’t have gone in the heat of the day). I had to do postive self-talk the whole way. Everything about this was hard: it hurt to breathe. It was hard to keep the pace…and last year this pace was really easy for longer distance. My legs hurt. I got random twinges. Blah, blah, blah. But, last year I wasn’t carrying this extra weight and I had been more diligent in the spring about my workouts. So. I can only work with what I have TODAY. And today I ran 2 miles and it was really hot. Good training for Pikes Peak!

The lighting in my kitchen is horrid for pictures, so I often take my food outside for photographs. This is the hazard of doing so.

Damn you!

What’s been going on.

Posted on May 9, 2014 by HaleyComet

Humm, well. Turns out when you’ve got a bum foot, life is pretty boring. Socially, things have been busy, but workouts are minimal. I use “workouts” loosely.
Today will be a big step. I’m going to the CF gym with K. I don’t know if I’ll do the WOD, it depends on what it is. No running or jumping for me, no explosive lifts. Basically, I can do stationary shit.

I’m still working on my Zion RR. (read: procrastinating)

In other news, some races are getting planned! Last June I did the Hatfield & McCoy marathon. It was an EXCELLENT time with a bunch of maniacs. Oh yeah, I guess I should write a real race report for that…
Very lush scenery!
(that’s my friend Halbert, he never has a shirt)

Moonshine aid station? Why not?!

Many Hatfield and McCoy homes/estates/grounds open to runners and tourists. Everyone was so friendly!

Anyway, I’d been on the fence about doing it this year. It’s a really far, rural, drive and I’ve done it already. I praised the race so much last year that I talked many friends from a running group into doing it. They were making me feel guilty since I didn’t want to commit again this year. Well, the race director put a call out on FB for people from a small handful of states, so they could have every state represented. Well, my state didn’t have any registrants, and I was the first to reply, so I got a free entry and it’s only costing me $20 to stay! Going back AND it’s basically free! I’m very excited!

Oh, and a Hatfield descendant is the RD and runs the local running club. Pretty awesome.

It’s Friday, lets talk about some random stuff.
TV:
LOVING Orphan Black. I just started it this week and we’re watching as a family. Excellent so far (4 episodes into season 1). Love me some BBC programming.

Books:
Currently reading Empire of the Summer Moon. I’ll let you know.

I need to get some audiobooks as we’re taking a big, looong, trip next week. Don’t get too excited, it’s not glamorous.

Another post tomorrow or Sunday with the carnage thats about to happen at the gym!

Happy Friday, peeps!

Utah, Part 2: Angels Landing Hike. Day 94

Posted on May 2, 2014 by HaleyComet

The second day of our trip we only had one item on the itinerary: hike Angels Landing. This is a picture ~~only~~ heavy post. It is Friday, so I don’t want to make you work too hard. You’re welcome.
Besides, there really isn’t much to say…it was so awesome.

Obligatory handstands at the park entrance

We took the bus into the park and got off at the Angels Landing trailhead. It was at the bottom of the canyon, next to the river.

Going to that peak up there

One of the very few things we did ‘wrong’ on this trip, was stopping and goofing off before we even started making our way up the trail. We were so in awe of the beauty and rocks in the canyon. We had no idea how much better it was at the top. It was all gorgeous. We really couldn’t comprehend how amazing it would be higher up.

Rando climbing

Shouldn’t have wasted time.

More random stopping for the view

Climbing into holes! It was like climbing up into trees. Of rock.

Then we started the gradual climb up the rock face, then hit the switchbacks to get to the final trailhead to get to Angels Landing point.

Switchbacks

View down the switchbacks

Even the smooth switchbacks were STEEEEP

Once you get up the switchbacks, there is a big “waiting area” that offers great views. From there it’s 1/2mi to the “Landing”, the top of the cliffs. That 1/2mi is deceptive…it’s climbing most of the way. Narrow path and with people coming-and-going, one has to step off to the side, or cling to the chain, to let people pass.

Yep. Climb UP the rocks.

Not scary at all.

Nope. Not scary.

On your left…

HANDSTANDS AT THE TOP! Hollis got upset with me and went off to admire the views away from Teeej and me. Apparently, she doesn’t believe in dying via stupidity. I believe in Darwin.

View into the canyon

Same ledge, view from the way we came on the trail.

Some CrossFit ~~douchebaggery~~ fun at the top! And shocker, we weren’t the only ones. These guys stopped to talk to us after seeing me try some squats.

See, this guy was excited I was wearing Inov-8’s too. And he was proud of his shorts. We were actually stunned someone would wear these in public.