Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Wednesday Blues

I don't think I'm being unreasonable

Whatever energy I started yesterday with, I lost in transition from Tuesday to Wednesday. Maybe that's just life, but I refuse to take this beating lying down, which is why I'm wearing my "go" clothes. 

This outfit is easy - easy to find in the closet/floor (let's be real here), easy to wear, easy to portion out pieces of so that when the temperature hits 107 today I won't feel like dying - and there's no better day to wear an easy outfit than on a Wednesday when your care jar is just straight-up empty. 

I bought this military-style shirt on sale at Urban Outfitters for $10, the jeans should be familiar to you, and the tank is being recycled as well. My trusty Madewell pendant necklace that I wear with absolutely everything is rocking solo today, and these TOMS desert wedges really are comfortable enough to wear all day.

I'm also refueling with BluePrint Juice's lemon-cayenne-agave drink this morning, and it's so much more delicious than I anticipated. I'm having to stop myself from chugging it. So while you down your coffee, juice, Spark or water this morning, put your headphones in and get your Wednesday jam on, because, hey. Friday's halfway here.


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A Month of CrossFit - Day 8

Collapsing is the least of my worries

After taking Monday off, I dragged myself out of bed this morning, stumbled around trying to find my workout clothes and almost face-planted onto the dining room table in a sleep-deprived stupor. This whole summer, I've been sleeping with our blinds mostly open so that when the sun comes up in the morning, we get woken up naturally by the light, not jarred awake by an alarm clock. But as summer is fading, so is the light outside, and I didn't realize how much it would affect me to not have the sun peeking through my window at 6 a.m. 

We had a different trainer for our workout this morning - Troy. He made it a point to focus on our form as we did deadlifts, kettlebell swings and squats so that we would be less prone to injury, and actually get the full benefit of the workout. 

Warm-Up:
15 ring rows
15 Russian kettlebell swings
20 lateral step-ups
25m inchworm
15 dumbbell thrusters
50m small hops
50m grapevine

WOD:
5-5-5 deadlifts (at max weight - I did three sets of 95)

For Time:
20 front squats (I did mine with 45lbs)
30 box jumps
40 kettlebell swings (I did 12kg)
50 wall balls (10lb ball)
My Time: 12:43

Workouts for time or AMRAP are great because of how they push you to compete with yourself and take your performance to the next level. I left on shaking legs, but I'm glad to be back in the swing of things. 
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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Good Glothes for Long Days

Keep On Keepin' On


Yesterday I was sitting here thinking about Diana Vreeland, and her "Why Don't You?" column for Harper's Bazaar that ran for 26 years (a little less than the span of my entire life, and significantly longer than the span of my conscious life). Some of DV's "Why Don't You?" suggestions veered into the realm of ridiculous, but some just made you think, "Well all right, why not?" 

 So why not wear bright blue pants with neon pink cap toe oxfords, instead of with the standard black flats? I've picked a particularly comfortable pair of pants (the Minnie style that I picked up on super sale) from J.Crew, brogues with a neon pink cap toe from H&M in Paris and a black pleated chiffon blouse that I picked up on sale at LOFT. The picture below doesn't do the shoes justice, but neither does the iPhone camera I have with me (the real camera hardly ever makes the trek to the office), so you'll have to settle for a mashup of the two this morning. 

Keep On Keepin' On
Keep On Keepin' On by jlrey


This is the not-so-awesome iPhone picture that you'll have to forgive me for, but I can't just let you believe I am not wearing the awesome oxfords I described. 

And for the final, "Why don't you?" moment of the day, I took the extra time this morning to give my hair a legit blowout, taking cues from Drybar's DIY series. I followed the steps for the Mai Tai without the extra curl at the end (because my "why not" moment ran me straight out of time), but here's the link for your viewing pleasure. 

And here are the results, because, why not?


Have a stellar Tuesday!

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Sunday to Monday

A Little Coffee Never Killed Nobody

No matter how many come my way, Monday mornings always feel like such a betrayal. Just a day ago I was eating pizza and catching up on a patio somewhere, and one night of not-enough sleep later, and I'm back to dual computer monitors and a full inbox, chugging coffee like my life depends on it. And on Monday, maybe it does. 

 I'm a big proponent of the "I didn't really see anyone yesterday that I'll see again today, so I'm just going to wear the exact same thing," mentality, but this morning was more on the holy-crap-i-have-15-minutes-to-get-out-the-door side than the joie de vivre. I'm-up-and-brewing-espresso-delivered-to-me-from-on-high-so-give-me-a-moment-to-meditate-on-the-mountain side, and I couldn't even put two and two together to figure out where I put Sunday's pants to wear on Monday. 

 The strand of continuity between Sunday and Monday's outfits is this red floral necklace that I keep finding excuses to wear. On Sunday, I paired it with this shell from Ann Taylor that you've seen before, a leopard cardigan from H&M, and black H&M pants. Today, I've put the same necklace (other silver chains excluded) with a chevron blouse, the office cardigan, and a pair of Madewell jeans.

 Now, power through this Monday and get some stuff done!

Sunday to Monday

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Friday, July 26, 2013

Friday Favorites #1

Before you head off into the distance to start your brunch-tastic weekend, hopefully filled with good food, great friends and equally awesome times, let's wrap up the week here at Hey There, Friday with the Friday Favorites.

 I'm more than a little obsessed with monograms right now, probably because the Mr. and I are trying to find a monogram that fits both of our personalities, and it's harder than I thought it would be. This yellow Kate Spade mug is only $10, and reminds me of my dad's favorite coffee cup. And not that a girl really needs 18 different iPhone cases, but what about the days I just can't decide? Then there's the bacon monster, who's the cutest, most enthusiastic brunch character I've ever met. I'm going to frame him in my kitchen.

 Now get out there and have an fantastic weekend!
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Shopping My Closet: Rainy Friday

Under My Umbrella (ella, ella)

This morning it was pouring buckets outside, and the very last thing I wanted to do was be dragged from my bed into the muck, mess and double-the-travel-time traffic outside. Nevertheless, it's Friday, it's almost noon, and the sun has come out. The weekend is so close I can taste it. 

Today I'm wearing a dolman shirt from Express that I bought way way back when I worked there (yes, such a thing happened), the scarf is actually the one pictured from Nordstrom (on sale - get yourself one!), the AE jeans should be familiar to you by now, and the Converse are well, Converse. 

 Happy Friday, kids!
Rainy Friday
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A Month of CrossFit - Day 7

Now Press "Repeat"

This morning, I had another one of those dreams where I thought CrossFit was cancelled - I guess it's just my subconscious craving the extra sleep, but in the early, rainy hours of this morning, I was not feeling a workout.

Repeat after me: eat before you workout. Even if it's just a piece of dry toast (or bread, we've all been there), find something that sits well on your stomach and fuel up before you throw down.

I actually made it through this morning's workout without dying, but I'm going to credit the exercise modifications and my ability to pace myself for that, not my wannabe superhero strength. 

Warm Up:
15 ring rows
15 Russian KB swings (eye level)
20 lateral step-ups
25m inchworm (I'm starting to hate this exercise so much)
15 wall balls
50m bunny hops
50m grapevine

WOD:
"McGhee"
30 minute AMRAP of:
5 deadlifts (I did 65lbs)
13 push-ups (on my knees, leaning on a box)
9 box jumps (I did step-ups)

When the 30 minutes were up, I had completed 13 rounds, going at about 2 minutes per round, with a little extra resting time in between. I'm starting to notice that my arms are getting some definition back to them, which is a plus as tank top season continues and temperatures are scheduled to hit triple digits next week. 
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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Snap Out of It

It's not just you - It's me, too

I thought I was going crazy. For the past three days, I've just been in an impenetrable funk, aggravated by the sound of someone breathing, the vibration of a coworker's mouse as it scratchy-scrolls down a page... and then, in the height of my discomfort, I read this by Leandra Medine, the Man Repeller herself.

The thought of out-dressing my blahs hadn't really occurred to me. After all, if the misery of all miseries (not miniseries, although sometimes I think my angsty moments could take on their own Netflix show) is raining down upon you - I can't decide between serif or sans, I've received two ALL-CAPS e-mails since sitting down this morning, my coffee is already cold, I just hate everything kind of misery - the typical course of action is to throw on the clothes to match your mood. Would that rainclouds came in denim. 

But instead going with the strategy to pick my three favorite items of clothing and try pairing them all together, I went with some current go-tos: a burnout white tank from Nordsrom that's the right amount of muscle tee/slouchy tunic/scoop neck, these destroyed jeans that stretch enough for me to sit in my desk chair Indian-style, and these ankle boots. My vest is a $10 find from Urban Outfitters (the awesome one in Austin, how did you know?) The necklaces are just the icing on top of the blah-proof-ness (and proof that Pinterest boards really can inspire), and the music pumping through my ears makes me feel like dancing. 

 

The picture above helped craft the outfit below. Boom, baby.


Pre-Friday is Blah-Proof

Pre-Friday is Blah-Proof by jlrey featuring charm jewelry


Need more help with the blah-banishing? Go here. Or here, if that doesn't convince you. Now go dust yourself off and make a party out of this pre-Friday.
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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Can-Do Wednesday

Do you ever get an idea of what you want to wear stuck in your head, and when it comes to figuring out what to wear, you can't think of anything else but that outfit? That was me this morning. There isn't some magic elf who sits in my closet, pairing the cool, funky pieces I haven't worn in a while with the right shoes and accessories - it's just me and whatever pops into my head. So today, even though my arms are killing me from earlier, I put on a top that required a contortionist to zip it up, and achieved my outfit dream.

Top is actually the one pictured below, from Madewell - scored at an additional 40% off a couple of weeks ago. I think I've already worn it three times. Pants are not $600 Altazurra, they're $12 and from H&M, but look very similar. The flats are the Madewell essentials you've seen before, and the necklace is from Forever 21. 

Can-Do Wednesday
Can-Do Wednesday by jlrey featuring highwaist pants
I'm feeling a little remix-y today, and IndieShuffle has just poured so many good songs into my eardrums lately that I felt like sharing them with you. Get your Wednesday jam on, for real.


Hey There, Friday: MixTape No. 2 from JLRey on 8tracks Radio.
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A Month of CrossFit - Day 6

"Thank you for not arguing with me"

Every time I think I've done CrossFit's hardest workout, I get throttled with another WOD. The thing is (and what keeps me coming back) that while it sucks, seriously sucks for a full hour of my day, I like feeling as though I've accomplished something impossible. Which leads me to today's workout.

Warm Up:
20 pass-throughs
10 PVC overhead squats
20 light dumbell snatches
20 lateral step-ups
25m lateral lunge
1 minute row (no legs)
1 minute row (no arms)

WOD:
For Time - 5 Rounds of:
400m run (I did 200 m)
20 split snatches (I did 25 each round, because I had that number ingrained in my head for some reason, and so I technically did more than I was supposed to and could have finished earlier - for which I'm kind of kicking myself.)

My Time: 29:47

Alisha, my trainer, said to do 200m runs instead of 400, to keep me on track with the rest of the crew. When I thanked her for giving me a shorter distance that I could actually handle, she said, "Thanks for not arguing with me - I try to set your limits to what I think you can reasonably accomplish without dying in the time provided. Some people try to argue and say, 'No, I can make it that far,' or 'No, I can lift this much,' and maybe you can, but can you do it without being 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes behind everyone else? Probably not. So thanks for letting me really train you." 

Which felt good, even if my legs did fall off at the end.
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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Tuesday, Busy Tuesday

It's okay to have an "off" day

Sometimes Tuesdays can be just as bad as Mondays, head-fogginess-wise. If your Monday is especially bad, Tuesday may feel like a new chance to get your feet under you, but if everyone and their cute little puppy has had a day-long start on the week, while you're fumbling to enter your iPhone password, Tuesday can be an equally large beating.

Today was one such Tuesday. Today, my meetings expand well beyond my standard work hours, all the way until 8:30 p.m. Today, I woke up on the wrong side of my alarm clock, and it was everything I could do to just put on something that sort of matched. Today, it's hot, real-life H-O-T in various places across the country, and most of us are trying to figure out how to wear as little clothing as possible. What you do wear needs to be functional for both an office space (casual though it may be) and for the sweltering, 10-minute walk to lunch. Hence the layering. 

 I'm wearing a J.Crew Factory "Perfect Shirt" in plaid that's 100% cotton (definitely not flannel), a J.Crew tank, Madewell necklace, $12 H&M pants and those awesome Madewell sandals that just.go.with.everything. Obviously. In the heat of summer, use long-sleeved shirts as jackets that make you appropriate in the A/C, but chuck them in your purse or backpack for a casually-chic outfit that won't make you sweat bullets. 

 Summer Plaid Tuesday

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Monday, July 22, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Monday, Monday

We Are Tired. Send Coffee.

Nothing like a Monday to remind you that you're not superhuman. 

I had an idea of what I wanted to wear when I woke up this morning, but once I dragged my sorry self through the front door after a CrossFit workout, I just didn't have the energy to find the items I needed to dress myself. Along the way, however, I found a cardigan and Henley tank that hadn't been worn in a while, and presto - the Monday outfit was born.

My navy tank was bought on super-sale at my favorite Urban Outfitters in Austin, TX, the grey tank is American Apparel (from the guys' section), and the pants are BDG cigarette pants, also Urban Outfitters. The cardigan that is only essential inside my office is an old Target find from their Merona line, and the sandals... you know the sandals.


Monday, Monday
Monday, Monday by jlrey featuring madewell


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A Month of CrossFit - Day 5

I got schooled by a jump rope

After two days off, I should have been re-energized and ready to return to my usual workout regimen, but that definitely did not happen. To spare you the ramblings of my still-exhausted brain (seriously, what is going on?), I'm just going to tell you what I did  what happened to me this morning. 

Warm Up: - 2x through
10 goblet squats
10 push ups
10 hanging twists
10 v-ups
50m small hops
50m high knee skips

WOD:
For Time:
100 double-unders (This is where you try to skip the jump rope twice under you when you jump - I couldn't do the double-unders, so I had to do triple the number of regular jump ropes, except I only hit 200. This took me seven minutes and zapped me of my pride entirely.)
50 handstand push-ups (I did an amalgamation of "handstand" push-ups on my knees from a box/regular push-ups/kneeling push-ups on the box)
40 toes to bar (I had to lay on the floor and raise my feet to above my head, because pull ups were not happening)
30 shoulder to overhead (started with 44lb bar, finished with 30lb bar)
90 ft of front rack walking lunges (holding the 30lb bar, walking across the gym and back - I made it halfway with the bar and then did the rest without weight)
My Time: 29:10

They say a bad workout is better than no workout at all, but I just don't feel like I put my best out there this morning. When I got home, I collapsed on my floor and just laid there for a few minutes because all of my muscles were so tired. 

Looking back at the past few workouts, I wish I had some fist-pumping results or powerhouse stories to share with you, but this is raw reality - even if I wish it were something different. 
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Weekend Warrior

We who brunch salute you

I use up every bit of my precious weekend time - from the moment I get off early on a Friday until the sun sets on Sunday night - just relishing the non-working days of my week. 

 Friday night was date night at what was supposed to be a pretty nice restaurant, but my salmon was cooked to brick consistency, and the "crispy bacon" served in the corn relish was really just mediocre chunks of ham. It's all right though, because we drowned our dining sorrows in ice cream, like grown ups.

 I wore the same tank combo I had going on for my Friday workday, the washed silk Free People Pants, and and some gold accessories to pull the whole thing together. 
Date Night
Date Night by jlrey featuring carhartt

Saturday, we took a trip to the new Natural Science & History Museum in town (hence the gold T-Rex head), and had a blast wandering around and taking advantage of all of the interactive exhibits. Then, we chowed down on hot dogs and ice cream at a local favorite spot, and I headed to dinner with some girlfriends. 

 My shorts are actually Madewell boyfriend shorts, the t-shirt I wore is a super-cheap one from H&M, and these sandals are the same familiar pair I've been rocking for days. Reduce, reuse recycle!
Saturday Museum Day
Saturday Museum Day by jlrey featuring madewell

Now for Things I'm Obsessed With, featuring a cool Tattly design (1) from Jessica Hische, an adorable poster (2) found on Pinterest, a necklace I would kill for (3) from J.Crew, this crazy-cool pineapple print (4), and these candle holders (5) my in-laws gave me for my birthday, found at Anthropologie. Here's to hoping your weekend was awesome, and that Monday is kind to you!

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Friday, July 19, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Good Vibe Friday

I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor, I'm good to go

There might not be anything better than coming in to work on a Friday and having your boss declare a Summer Friday - meaning you get to beebop out of the office early. Heyo.

 Today the song, "Good Vibrations" was stuck in my head, so I'm declaring it a Good Vibe Friday. I'm wearing an American Apparel heathered grey tank top from the guy's section, a Rubbish tank from Nordstrom's junior section that's sort of like the one in this link, but mine was on sale for $14, plus a pair of destroyed American Eagle jeans that I got on super sale for something like $20. I needed a good pair of destroyed denim, and these suckers were on sale and oh-so-comfortable. Plus, I get major compliments everywhere I wear them, and no one can believe that they're from AE. Necklaces are American Eagle and Madewell. Shoes are those awesome sandals I wore on Tuesday. 

 If you're in a less casual work environment, the destroyed jeans could be easily swapped for a pair of normal skinnies, the sandals can be traded for a cute pair of brown or patterned flats (like leopard or floral), and you can pop a cardigan on top of the tanks to give the whole thing a little more polish.

 Pumping through the ear canals today we have Sara Bareilles' new album, The Blessed Unrest, Tegan & Sara's Heartthrob (a song from which you can listen to here) and Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires of the City.  It's Friday - get your jam on.



Good Vibe Friday

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A Month of CrossFit - Day 4

Consider My Butt Kicked


In the wee hours of the morning, probably after hitting the snooze button on my 6:00 a.m. alarm, I had a dream that my CrossFit coach called and told me that the class was cancelled for today. I remember thinking in the dream, "Heck yes, I can sleep in for another hour," and then my alarm went off for a second time, firing my 6:30 a.m. warning shot. Back to reality.

I didn't accomplish the last-minute routine as well this morning as I did yesterday, probably because my brain was still fooled by my subconscious desire to sleep in, but I made it to the gym, bread and water in hand, for the most insane workout of the week.
Warm-Up:
15 wall ball press
15 suitcase lifts
15 push-ups (I still did these on my knees, but I did all 15, chest to ground, without stopping)
50m high knees
50m skips
50m butt kicks
50m high knee skips

WOD:
One max rep strict press (I hit 65lbs)

"Helen"
3 rounds of:
400m run
21 kettlebell swings (at 8kg - 17lbs)
12 pull ups

I made myself run at least half of each 400m run. My muscles were screaming on the last rep of kettlebell swings and pull ups, but the other CrossFit-ers were cheering me on, telling me I was almost there, that I could do it... and I finished strong. 

My whole body hurts, but in a proud, "yeah, I did that" kind of way. And I like it.

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Pre-Friday

I have a pair of black utility/parachute washed silk pants from Free People that I bought on a whim a couple of years ago. I was on a Free People roll then, and I have a couple of one-off items that will have their day of reckoning in the Shopping My Closet series, including but not limited to: ultra-wide-leg jeans, red bell bottoms and an enormous hoodie-sweater hybrid that is my buddy on every plane ride I take. I probably haven't worn the washed-silk pants in a full calendar year, and they've avoided the bi-annual closet purge by being so darn comfortable and lightweight. Now that I'm proving their versatility, I feel justified in allowing them to carve out a slice of space in my jam-packed closet.

The shirt pictured is one I actually own from H&M. The sweater pictured is A.L.C., but mine is from last winter's Loft sale and looks remarkably similar to this photo below (side slits and everything). 

 The Madewell flats are the perfect essential nude ballet flats, and they were on sale, which made them even more essential. Repeat after me: these go with everything.

 The necklace today is also Madewell, the notebook is maybe even more essential than the flats and fits perfectly in my not-pictured purse, and yes, I am still carrying around my coffee at 12:39 p.m. CST. 

Pre-Friday


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A Month of CrossFit - Day 3

Holy Moly, Me Oh My

Last night I had this stupid idea that I was superhuman, and sat up watching The Real Housewives of Orange County (I know...) way past my bedtime, thinking that I could bound out from beneath the covers after just five hours of sleep and rock a workout like some kind of alien. 

That did not happen.

I woke up at 6:40 a.m. for a 7 a.m. workout, stumbled into the bathroom, picked up whatever was clean-ish from the floor, slapped on workout clothes and grabbed a cup of ice water. I was ready to go, leaving the kitchen, when I remembered the feeling of utter nausea and helplessness that followed the last time I didn't eat anything before CrossFit. With literally zero time to make anything, I grabbed a piece of wheat bread (not toast, bread) and ate it in my car on the way to the gym. Throwing the crusts to the birds because nobody likes wheat bread crusts. 

When I got to the Box, everybody just launched into the warm up. I didn't die, but I maybe should have stayed in bed.

This is what we did:



Warm Up:
10 hanging twists
15 push press
15 squat jumps
15 ball slams
50m inchworm
50m bear crawl
1 minute row (no arms)
1 minute row (no legs)
1 minute row


WOD:
500m row for time
2 minute max distance farmer's carry (I made it 235m with 32lbs - a 16lb kettlebell in each hand. For perspective, the guy next to me carried 32lbs in each hand. Yeah.)
Max rep ring dips in 2 minutes (I had to do tricep dips - 21 total)
Max rep wallballs in 2 minutes (almost smacked myself in the head with a 10lb ball)

I took a picture of my shoes and was going to make a joke about how my legs were shaking from the intense workout we did today, and you couldn't tell because it was a still photo, but honestly it's my arms that are jelly. And you can't tell that either, because the intense effort it takes me to push down the keys to tell you about how hard it is to push down the keys doesn't show at all in how you read this written word. And now I've ruined the joke. 

Do me a favor and pretend it's funny for next time. 



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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Shopping My Closet: Wednesday

How much gold can I cram into one outfit?

The answer is: quite a bit. Today is a topknot-rockin', spiked and studded loafer wearin' kind of day, and I'm just sitting here plugging away at my job like a boss, wishing Friday would stop taking her sweet time to get here.

I didn't go to CrossFit this morning because I had to be at work at the crack of dawn, plus I can barely move, but that didn't stop me from giving you a little extra this A.M. - scroll down for a link to an 8Tracks mix I made just. for. you. You are welcome.

Wednesday


JYE MixTape No. 1 from JLRey on 8tracks Radio.
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Shopping My Closet: Tuesday Office Style

Ah, the office cardigan. Unless you're working from home in your yoga leggings and tank top, swaddled in a quilt of your choosing, the only way to combat frigid cubicle temps is to BYOC. As a rule, an office cardigan should consist of good, non-pilling fabric, warm but not parka material, and should look like it can go with any outfit as a conscious decision, not a confused afterthought. Because you never know when you'll get pulled into some kind of project meeting, and you don't want to be bundled up in an electric purple Victoria's Secret PINK hoodie, zipped up to your chin.

Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.

The blouse I'm wearing today is actually this one, currently on sale at Ann Taylor. The jeans/pants I'm rocking are $39 BDG cigarette pants from Urban Outfitters, and my office cardigan is a grey crew neck from H&M, which regardless of its non-cashmere status, does not look like an afterthought. And those Madewell sandals might be the best purchase you make all year. You heard it here first.

Tuesday Office Style

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A Month of CrossFit - Day 2

I'm going to die.

I realized last night when I went to pick up my purse from the floor that I had severely underestimated how sore I would be. When I was talking to my CF friend earlier, she had asked if I was hurting yet, and I shrugged my not-yet-on-fire shoulders. "Not really, but I'm sure I'll feel it in the morning." She smiled a very knowing smile, "Oh yeah, you'll feel it." 

"Feeling it" (the soreness, not the Blink-182 song) started around 9:30 p.m., after I had sat on the couch for an hour watching The West Wing. C.J., Josh and Tobey grimaced with me as I stood up on shaking legs and stumbled to my bed, cursing every stair on the way. My butt was in bed at 10 p.m. 

Yesterday I set two goals for Day 2 - to wake up at 6 and eat breakfast before class. I was up at 6:15 and ate some peanut butter toast, drank a bit of coffee and water while watching the sun rise. And then the devil popped out of the pavement and asked me to stop freezing over his home. 

But really.

Today's WOD:

Warm Up:
20 dumbell rows
20 v-ups (sit-ups where you lay flat on the floor and bring your hands and feet together)
20 box jumps 
50m twist lunges
20 one-arm kettlebell swings (10 each arm)
- AND THEN YOU DO IT AGAIN - 

Finish up the warm up with a 400m run. I only walked 50m halfway through, and I'm feeling pretty good about that, thankyouverymuch.

WOD:
Max broad jump (I hit 70" on my best out of three tries)
1 minute max pull-ups (maxed at 21 - I had to use the rings, because I'm not beast enough yet)
Max time L-sits (38 seconds)
5 minutes kettlebell snatches (I only got 52 in and had to use a dumbell because my form was cruddy with the kettlebell)

Yesterday I was feeling so nauseated by the end that I had to take a break before maxing out on my deadlift. Today, that feeling only happened as I was walking out to my car. I got my act together much quicker after the workout this morning, but man, my body hurts.
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Shopping My Closet: Rainy Monday

Man, I just don't feel like wearing anything that screams, "Business Professional."

My job is super laid-back. The only way I "see" a client is if their e-mail pops up in my inbox, and that's the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it. That being said, I can get away with a pretty casual M-F look. 

The Nike hoodie is one of the best purchases I've ever made. I got it on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods for $35 a couple months ago, and wear it with everything. Blue gingham shirt is from Old Navy, chrome sneaker from ASOS, and the bag pictured is similar to the Deena & Ozzy bucket bag I own from two seasons ago at Urban Outfitters. My jeans are actually Madewell Skinny Skinny in the Blue Moon wash (because they are my favorite jeans ever). But this is the best that Polyvore could do, and let's face it - it's pretty accurate. 

Rainy Monday

Rainy Monday by jlrey featuring a hooded pullover
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A Month of CrossFit - Day 1

Let's talk CrossFit. 

Via Reebok CrossFit
You hear about CrossFit one of two ways: from a dedicated devotee, or from someone who knows someone (who knows someone) who's heard of/or done CrossFit themselves. 

I made the decision to actually give this whole CrossFit thing a try last week. I've heard about it, talked about it with friends who have done it, watched CrossFit videos on YouTube, read the blogs on Pinterest... I know what's up, but I just hadn't taken the plunge. 

But here's the deal: I've reached a point (an age?) where the usual stuff I was doing just wasn't working anymore. It actually seems as though my body has kind of been slowing down. There are more trouble spots than non-trouble spots, and the gyro I ate for lunch settles in and adds to my waistline instead of shedding itself away. 

The breaking point came when I was considering signing up for an Advocare 24-day challenge (a 24-day cleanse/replenish challenge that was going to cost me $190 buckaroos). I started thinking that if I was going to shell out that amount of money for Advocare, I could pay the monthly fee for CrossFit, save some dinero and try a month of hardcore workouts instead of doing the cleanse. Not to diss Advocare - my boss swears by this stuff, and she is a marathon-running ball of positivity and inspiration in constant beast-mode - but I just can't get on board the protein/meal replacement shake train. Plus, I've wanted to try CrossFit for longer than I'm comfortable admitting, and it's time to get my rear in gear.

So, this morning I went to the Box to start a week-long trial, where a very matter-of-fact woman named Alisha led me through the WOD (workout of the day). This is what we did:

Warm Up:
15 kettlebell swings (you swing with your legs, not your arms - it's a booty-poppin' feeling)
20 ball throws 20 step-ups (10 each leg)
50m inchworm (walk your hands out to plank position, walk your feet up to meet your hands, repeat)
50m bearcrawls (walk like a bear - keep your butt down)
1 minute rows - no arms
1 minute rows - no legs

WOD: AMRAP in 8 minutes (As Many Reps As Possible) 
400m rows - arms and legs (did this in under 2 minutes, which was the bar Alisha set for me)
40 air squats
30 sit-ups
20 push-ups (chest all the way to the ground)
20 pull-ups (I did three)
Burpees until time expires (I hate burpees, and I didn't even make it to the suckers)
1 max deadlift rep (I did 108 lbs)

I made it through the rows, the air squats, the sit-ups and push-ups before time expired. With something like 20 seconds left, I went and started to do some pull-ups on the rings (because girlfriend isn't strong enough to get her chin above the bar, even with one of the biggest rubberbands I've ever seen), but only got three in before time ran out. I was bummed - the rings were actually working for me. 

I was getting ready to do the deadlift, when Alisha told us to take a break and get a drink of water. And that's when the nausea set in. 

I don't want to scare anyone off here, but I seriously felt like I was about to puke on their astroturf. I took a minute and went to the bathroom, praying the whole time that I wouldn't hurl, came back and maxed out my deadlift at 108 lbs. 

I bravely waved goodbye, said I would be back tomorrow, and made it home to flop on my couch. I did not hurl my guts up, but I certainly felt like it. 

Mistake 1: I woke up at 6:25 to be at a 7 a.m. class
Mistake 2: I ate/drank nothing but water before the class

Tomorrow: Wake up at 6 and eat breakfast beforehand. Whoo.
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