Getting Stronger

First - the food pictures.  But hang in there, I have something worthwhile to say today.

Yesterday's lunch with homegrown tomatoes from
Tom's (Ryan's dad) garden.

Part of last night's dinner - caprese salad (made with
Tom's tomatoes).

The rest of last night's dinner - wild salmon and asparagus.

Today's lunch.

So....earlier I went for a 10k bike ride as my triathlon training for the day.  Then I looked to see what the crossfit workout was going to be.  Turns out, it was Double Fran.  One Fran is enough for most people, two is pretty brutal.  But I was looking forward to it because it would be my first wod in my new kicks.

Cute, huh?

Before the workout I was talking with my friend (life coach?) Diane about the fact that after 11 months of crossfit I still can't do a pull up.  She said, "You just have to go down in bands.  Don't use the blue band anymore."  (Side note: from most supportive to least supportive the bands at CFI are: green, blue, red, purple.)  My first thought was, "I can't do that!  I JUST moved down to the blue band, I need the blue band to do workouts!"  Then I considered her challenge.  Could I go down in bands already?  Could I do the wod without the blue band?  She went on to explain that I could have the blue band next to me during the workout just in case I needed it.  I thought it sounded fair, and promised to try.

Here is what my pull up station looked like after I finished Double Fran.

That's right, I used the red and purple bands (down from the blue/purple combo) for the whole workout.  I didn't need the blue band, and I didn't even consider using it.  Turns out I CAN do 90 pull ups without a blue band.  The wod took me a long time to finish (Double Fran ain't easy, people), but I did finish.  Sometimes it just takes that extra little push (or suggestion, in this case) to prove it to myself that I can do better.

I WILL do a pull up before the end of the year.  Hopefully much sooner than that.  The moral of the story is that I need to start challenging myself.  I need to be more trusting that all of the effort I'm putting in is actually going to pay off.  To the blue bands at CFI - it's been fun, but I don't need you anymore.  Looks like I'm getting stronger after all.

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P.S. My cat watches Big Cat Diaries.

Lily hopes to become a cheetah someday.