The simple acts of standing, sitting and walking are quite challenging and rather painful today. I made my way back to CrossFit last night after taking the weekend off and the workout was sneaky hard.
10 – 1 for Time
(Decreasing reps for each set, starting with 10 and ending with 1)
Barbell Front Squats
Kipping Pull Ups
Ab Mat Sit Ups
At the recommendation of my coach, I used a 95# bar for the front squats. It definitely felt heavy and was challenging but I was able to manage the weight and complete the sets of work unbroken (not stopping in between reps for a break). I used a thin band for the kipping pull ups because I still cannot kip (practicing would probably help…). I finished in a little over 10 minutes. I was feeling good after I finished the workout but as the evening progressed, fatigue started to set into my legs. I woke up in the middle of the night and knew I was in for trouble today. I was getting sore already. I kind of wanted to cry getting out of bed today – my quads are SO sore.
I love squatting and it’s an exercise that I do all of the time and doesn’t usually make me sore. I’m actually pleased that I’m this sore because it means that I pushed myself to a different level…and I want to get stronger! I’ll just say that I’m glad today’s WOD is all upper body and core because my legs are worthless! 😉
I go through ups and downs with my eating and workouts. This week I am in a pattern of needing more rest, sleep and food and less working out. While I have been treating myself to things like cupcakes, blueberry bars and ice cream, I have been focusing on my protein intake and getting good fuel in to help with my energy levels.
Lots of meals to share from the last two days.
Overnight (30 minute) oats in a peanut butter jar for breakfast Monday.
My first straight up tomato and mayo sandwich of the season. I did whisk some basil and lemon juice into the mayo. Heirloom tomatoes are just too good to need anything else on the sandwich.
Chocolate peanut butter protein shake at my desk before CrossFit last night. Mmm.
Dinner was all local. Swiss chard, tomatoes and sweet potato from the farmers market and a pre-marinated chicken breast from a small market across the street from the gym. This dinner was healthy, satisfying and ready in under 10 minutes. I sauteed the chicken and chard while I microwaved the sweet potato and cut up the tomatoes. I topped the sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon and simply seasoned the chard and tomatoes with salt and pepper.
This morning required not one breakfast but two.
I woke up at 6 a.m. and I could not go back to sleep. I got up and made coffee and toasted one of the Van’s blueberry waffles. I topped it with peanut butter, honey and bananas. The waffle was a nice alternative to toast.
Two hours later I was craving eggs so I scrambled and egg with spinach and tomatoes.
And finally, I made a big salad for lunch. Spinach, broccoli slaw, tomatoes, avocado, tempeh, carrots, cucumbers, pecans and dried cranberries with homemade honey mustard.
I find it interesting that I usually have a bigger appetite when I’m in recovery mode versus when I’m in a cycle of training really hard. I guess it’s just my muscles asking for some fuel to build back stronger. Does anyone else experience more hunger/tiredness when you back off of training?
Glad to know I’m not the only one taking it easy this week…sore from a run up to Bishop’s Peak here in San Luis Obispo and rock climbing, running in general, it all builds up. Instead of forcing myself to do my daily 3 miles, just walking my dog and biking around town is all i’ve been doing. I love how good food tastes after a workout though and I usually make higher protein choices. Also, I definitely eat more with more muscle versus when I would just run and not do weights. When I do cardio, I find my appetite decreases until later on in the day. Good for you for fueling for recovery. I always like reading that you do rest sometimes because your lifestyle of activity is what I would like mine to be…I’m not as good about strength training and am much more inconsistent with that than with running..it’s good to know that even the fittest people have weeks of lesser activity though and we aren’t super human 🙂
that run sounds SO tough. sometimes it can be hard to give yourself permission to rest/break routine. i agree with food tasting so good after a workout though! 🙂
and i think i’m going to end up taking another rest day today!
I am experiencing what I like to describe as my hollow leg raging today! I’m on a bike trip in Virginia and we are climbing some big mountains (I’m from the flat flat lands of Ontario so this is extra challenging for me). My active rest day today involved golfing, sitting by a pool, and writing in my journal but without fail rest days fire up my appetite. In the past I’d eat less to compensate for not working out but as you’ve hit the nail on the head with–it’s a good thing! I need to feed myself so I can come back stronger and realizing this made my rest days way more enjoyable–no more stressing over whether or not I was overeating or under eating all day (both of these things often led to overeating and NOT eating healthy things). Now I can eat healthier things in reasonable quantities and just go with it/listen to my body. Amen for that! Your eats look hungry and I think I’d be hungry after reading this post even if it WASN’T an extra hungry day for me! 😀
the bike trip sounds like so much fun…especially your active race day! i totally hear you on feeling like you need to eat less when you’re not working out but you have to break out of that mindset and look at it as fueling and then you feel so much better! i’m glad you’re in a healthier mode now!
I think you are totally right! I am the same way. When I am taking a rest period, I am constantly hungry. When I am in training mode, I am less hungry. Today I ran and took a 90 minute yoga class and haven’t found myself feeling super hungry.
Oh, and that chocolate pb shake…I want one!
I had a completely different workout yesterday too. While I familiar exercises, maybe it was the combination that made me sore? Whatever the reason, I can barely walk up the stairs today!! (This also made mowing the lawn, with a push mower & super high grass, very challenging today). Definitely went beyond my comfort zone, but I know it helps me get stronger too.
Ah, rest and recovery are so important! I am most certainly hungrier on my rest days. It probably makes up for when I can’t even think about stomaching food post schweaty workout. 🙂 The Charleston heat doesn’t help either.
oh i am so glad that i didn’t have to push a lawn mower. that would have been the end of me! 😉
how did you make your homemade honey mustard?? looks yummy
Do you have a recipe for your homemade honey mustard dressing?? Or any other dressings? I’ve been wanting to start making my own!
for the honey mustard i just whisk together greek yogurt, honey, dijon mustard and maybe some lemon juice or a little bit of olive oil. i also like honey, balsamic, dijon and olive oil or lemon juice, dijon, olive oil and honey.
It’s almost 10 p.m. but this post inspired me to get up and make a tomato sandwich. Probably too many carbs at night but it was completely worth it! I like mine toasted too and with a little sea salt and pepper.
always a good time for a tomato sandwich!
Hey Jen! Mind sharing your recipe for homemade honey mustard? I’ve made some with dijon mustard, honey, lemon juice and greek yogurt subbed for mayo but just wondering what you use. Thanks 🙂
i do the same thing!
That workout sounds great! I’m loving the 10-1 rep workout countdown workouts. So fun! I’m taking it easy this week and have been feeling super hungry the past few days. It is so odd to me, but I guess my body is just showing that I need more recovery and nutrition to recover faster.
I just tried my first overnight oats and lets just say mine were not nearly as appetizing as yours look!
i hated them the first time i tried them! you have to figure out a combo and consistency that you like.
I just went through a similar rest weekend where I literally fell asleep on the couch at 8:30 on Friday 7:45 on Saturday… It felt awesome after a week of working hard(but I think my husband thought I was crazy!)
P.S. what is your honey mustard recipe?? I tried one and I must have gotten the SPICIEST dijon mustard was running all over my salad
** sorry– my nose was running all over my salad
haha! love it. i like really spicy/hot dijon. i just mix together greek yogurt, honey and dijon most of the time. sometimes add some lemon juice or olive oil.
Interesting……I find my appetite and cravings for certain foods always increase a few days before my time of my month. What I notice with my workouts is my cravings for certain foods. I’m training for my first marathon, Marine Corps, and find on the longer & hotter runs I’m craving olives or something like that and I’m guessing my body needs the salt?? Otherwise if I fuel on the right foods throughout the day my appetite is pretty consistent. It’s only when I don’t eat enough for breakfast that I get really hungry late in the day.
so exciting that you are training for marine corps. it’s going to be an awesome first marathon for you! that’s funny that you crave olive…the salt thing make sense.
Mmmm, your local veggies look divine!
I feel the same way – when I’m recovering (especially after legs day), I’m RAVENOUS. But, to your point, it really does make perfect sense. When our muscles are resting, they’re also repairing and they need fuel to do that. Bring it on, right?! 😉
After the North Face Endurance Challenge and then a really fun no sleep weekend in Chicago with Friends I was wiped out, found myself tired walking to work in the mornings and that is not like me. Then that weekend it really hit me and I slept the whole weekend away. By Sunday evening, I was feeling much better and then back to 100% on Monday. It is times like that were I need to make sure I really give my body the rest it needs so it doesn’t slam me like that again. Great post!!
Your local veggies and chicken look delicious!!