3 months - Yes RESULTS in three months.

Laura Rucker · 11-24-2004, 11:48 AM

One year is a long way off for me and if I wait that long to post my results, well, I'll miss telling the most exciting part of the journey.

I'm 38 (going on 39) and a total computer geek. Three years ago, I weighed 171 pounds and chasing my 1 year old son around winded me. At Christmastime, 2001, My MIL said something to me that turned me around: Laura, You're fat. Now, don't get all down on my MIL. She didn't say it to hurt my feelings and lucky for me, I didn't take it that way. I looked in the mirror and realized, yes, she's right. 5 foot nuthin' and growin' on 175 pounds. That's not a pretty sight. I have pictures to prove it.

The following January, I joined Weight Watchers and took off 30 pounds in a year's time. It was slow and steady and every year I look back and thank my mother in law for her honest words.

Well fast forward to August of this year. I'd started to gain back some of the weight I lost. I'd turned my life around as far as activity was concerned: Taking Muay Thai kickboxing from the Brand X gang and playing Racquetball with a friend of mine a couple of times a week at the gym at work. But WW wasn't/isn't doing it for me anymore. I think my body finally said, well, NOW what are you gonna do?

I was talking to the Brand X folks on line alot and Jeff offered to give me a trial of the Crossfit program at Brand X and said it would be perfect for my schedule and that I would see results pretty quickly. I took a couple of classes and started my crossfit membership within two weeks.

The first workout I did was a Monday class. I thought I did pretty well on the puppy workout: 30 situps, 40 thrusters, 40 burpees (I did 25) and 40 of something else I can't remember. It think it took me at least a half hour. Jeff gave me a simple workout for home the next Saturday, and the very next class I did was.......CHELSEA! Let me tell you, Chelsea kicked my @$$. I might have done 10 rounds in the 25 minutes. MAYBE. I don't know. I lost the clock in the first round, lost count in the first 5 minutes, but I kept going. My KB instructor, Ricky, shouted encouragement across the room. I could barely do 10 knee pushups, and the pullups, though I was doing jump assisted, were a killer just doing 5 in a row.

For about a month, I just did the Monday and Saturday Crossfit workouts and the KB warmups at my class at work were like abbreviated Crossfit, since the instructors put them together as a way to get us tired out before doing drills. I started watching the WOD posts and started doing them (modified) as well as I could in September. I've now been doing WOD for about 2 months. I still have to modify - but not as much. Mostly I do knee pushups still, and pullups are still assisted one way or another.

I can do 10 standard pushups - I started out being able to maybe do 2. I can do probably 25 knee pushups without breaking (first round). I can do most of the middle level Brand X workouts (still a puppy on some) though I am usually the last to finish. BUT I FINISH! I can do 50 situps unbroken, jumping pullups with more reps and more pull than jump - chin to bar. I've started doing ring rows for pullups when I'm at Brand X and they've helped me progress to where I'm almost able to do a regular non jumping pullup. I wouldn't exactly call it a dead hang, but it's a damn near one. WOD, well, my times are in the middle range and they are still modified. My weight lifting has improved 5 times over. I can do O lifts with lighter weights and some with the 45 pound O-bar. I deadlift about 140 - still working on 150. I used to do thrusters with 10# dumbells and now I can do them with 20# db's or 45 pound bar.

Typing this up - is does't look that exciting, but if you had seen me starting out you would know these things are really big improvements for me. Not only that but even though I haven't lost weight, I've gotten so many compliments on looking thinner that I know I've lost fat and gained muscle.

But here's the kicker: I did Chelsea with knee pushups and ring rows with the clock, 30 full rounds, a couple of week ends ago. It still kicked my @$$. But I did it!

Next on my hit list:
Climbing the ropes, DH pullup, 20 std pushups, bar dips, Run a 7 minute mile. (Hence, my new avatar.)

And, next time Chelsea comes around, I plan to complete her with standard pull ups and pushups.

Crossfit ROCKS!

And you guys all help to keep me going. Like I told Ron in another thread, I post my times, no matter how ridiculous they seem. I feel like I belong here. CANNOT wait to meet some of you in person in March.

Brian Gibson · 11-24-2004, 11:53 AM

Awesome!! Keep up the good work, Laura!!

Ron Nelson · 11-24-2004, 12:07 PM

Laura,
You now qualify as a stud-ette! Nice work on Chelsea. One thing I've always believed in, Crossfit wise, is to post your results no matter what. Crossfit is a competition; a competition against yourself! Laura, you're winning! Nice work, see you in March! Hopefully, I can drag the wife along and you can share your success story with her as you're both around the same age (she's 37, I robbed the cradle!)

Ron Nelson · 11-24-2004, 12:11 PM

Oh, BTW, in e-mails my MIL refers to me as SIL (son in law). Thought that was a funny coincidence!

Laura Rucker · 11-24-2004, 12:22 PM

haha! Electronic lingo - you gotta love it. It took me a long time to figure out DH = Dear husband.

Thanks, Brian and Ron! Hopefully, Ron, you can get your wife to come down. I'll give her the soft sell. :-)

Tim Smith · 11-24-2004, 12:52 PM

Laura,
Right on! As a fellow beginner and 47 year old computer geek, I can totally relate. I have been doing the WODs as best I can, irregularly, for about 3 weeks and have seen improvement already. I recover from being winded faster and I no longer quite feel like I am going to die after tabata squats.
Thanks for the testimonial.
-Tim

Laura Rucker · 11-24-2004, 01:54 PM

Tim, the recovery time is one of the things I use as an indicator of my progress. After a really tough WOD, it usually takes me a lot less time to recover than it did when I started. I can actually do a WOD and an KB class in the same day now.

Keep it up. This stuff is GREAT!

Larry Lindenman · 11-24-2004, 03:01 PM

Awesome Job!! Imagine what you will be doning in a year. Keep up the great work.

Laura Rucker · 11-24-2004, 03:23 PM

Thanks, Larry.

Jeff M: In a year, I want to be a BIG DAWG! WOOF!

Pat Janes · 11-24-2004, 05:08 PM

Great work, Laura..!

I've got my wife and daughter on the Zone with me; next step, the WOD. It's inspirational to hear of people like yourself, who've come so far.

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11-24-2004, 11:48 AM	#1
Laura Rucker Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 845	One year is a long way off for me and if I wait that long to post my results, well, I'll miss telling the most exciting part of the journey. I'm 38 (going on 39) and a total computer geek. Three years ago, I weighed 171 pounds and chasing my 1 year old son around winded me. At Christmastime, 2001, My MIL said something to me that turned me around: Laura, You're fat. Now, don't get all down on my MIL. She didn't say it to hurt my feelings and lucky for me, I didn't take it that way. I looked in the mirror and realized, yes, she's right. 5 foot nuthin' and growin' on 175 pounds. That's not a pretty sight. I have pictures to prove it. The following January, I joined Weight Watchers and took off 30 pounds in a year's time. It was slow and steady and every year I look back and thank my mother in law for her honest words. Well fast forward to August of this year. I'd started to gain back some of the weight I lost. I'd turned my life around as far as activity was concerned: Taking Muay Thai kickboxing from the Brand X gang and playing Racquetball with a friend of mine a couple of times a week at the gym at work. But WW wasn't/isn't doing it for me anymore. I think my body finally said, well, NOW what are you gonna do? I was talking to the Brand X folks on line alot and Jeff offered to give me a trial of the Crossfit program at Brand X and said it would be perfect for my schedule and that I would see results pretty quickly. I took a couple of classes and started my crossfit membership within two weeks. The first workout I did was a Monday class. I thought I did pretty well on the puppy workout: 30 situps, 40 thrusters, 40 burpees (I did 25) and 40 of something else I can't remember. It think it took me at least a half hour. Jeff gave me a simple workout for home the next Saturday, and the very next class I did was.......CHELSEA! Let me tell you, Chelsea kicked my @$$. I might have done 10 rounds in the 25 minutes. MAYBE. I don't know. I lost the clock in the first round, lost count in the first 5 minutes, but I kept going. My KB instructor, Ricky, shouted encouragement across the room. I could barely do 10 knee pushups, and the pullups, though I was doing jump assisted, were a killer just doing 5 in a row. For about a month, I just did the Monday and Saturday Crossfit workouts and the KB warmups at my class at work were like abbreviated Crossfit, since the instructors put them together as a way to get us tired out before doing drills. I started watching the WOD posts and started doing them (modified) as well as I could in September. I've now been doing WOD for about 2 months. I still have to modify - but not as much. Mostly I do knee pushups still, and pullups are still assisted one way or another. I can do 10 standard pushups - I started out being able to maybe do 2. I can do probably 25 knee pushups without breaking (first round). I can do most of the middle level Brand X workouts (still a puppy on some) though I am usually the last to finish. BUT I FINISH! I can do 50 situps unbroken, jumping pullups with more reps and more pull than jump - chin to bar. I've started doing ring rows for pullups when I'm at Brand X and they've helped me progress to where I'm almost able to do a regular non jumping pullup. I wouldn't exactly call it a dead hang, but it's a damn near one. WOD, well, my times are in the middle range and they are still modified. My weight lifting has improved 5 times over. I can do O lifts with lighter weights and some with the 45 pound O-bar. I deadlift about 140 - still working on 150. I used to do thrusters with 10# dumbells and now I can do them with 20# db's or 45 pound bar. Typing this up - is does't look that exciting, but if you had seen me starting out you would know these things are really big improvements for me. Not only that but even though I haven't lost weight, I've gotten so many compliments on looking thinner that I know I've lost fat and gained muscle. But here's the kicker: I did Chelsea with knee pushups and ring rows with the clock, 30 full rounds, a couple of week ends ago. It still kicked my @$$. But I did it! Next on my hit list: Climbing the ropes, DH pullup, 20 std pushups, bar dips, Run a 7 minute mile. (Hence, my new avatar.) And, next time Chelsea comes around, I plan to complete her with standard pull ups and pushups. Crossfit ROCKS! And you guys all help to keep me going. Like I told Ron in another thread, I post my times, no matter how ridiculous they seem. I feel like I belong here. CANNOT wait to meet some of you in person in March.

11-24-2004, 11:53 AM	#2
Brian Gibson Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Big Stone Gap VA Posts: 424	Awesome!! Keep up the good work, Laura!!

11-24-2004, 12:07 PM	#3
Ron Nelson Banned Profile: Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Anaheim CA Posts: 1,199	Laura, You now qualify as a stud-ette! Nice work on Chelsea. One thing I've always believed in, Crossfit wise, is to post your results no matter what. Crossfit is a competition; a competition against yourself! Laura, you're winning! Nice work, see you in March! Hopefully, I can drag the wife along and you can share your success story with her as you're both around the same age (she's 37, I robbed the cradle!)

11-24-2004, 12:11 PM	#4
Ron Nelson Banned Profile: Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Anaheim CA Posts: 1,199	Oh, BTW, in e-mails my MIL refers to me as SIL (son in law). Thought that was a funny coincidence!

11-24-2004, 12:22 PM	#5
Laura Rucker Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 845	haha! Electronic lingo - you gotta love it. It took me a long time to figure out DH = Dear husband. Thanks, Brian and Ron! Hopefully, Ron, you can get your wife to come down. I'll give her the soft sell. :-)

11-24-2004, 12:52 PM	#6
Tim Smith Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: West Sacramento Ca Posts: 48	Laura, Right on! As a fellow beginner and 47 year old computer geek, I can totally relate. I have been doing the WODs as best I can, irregularly, for about 3 weeks and have seen improvement already. I recover from being winded faster and I no longer quite feel like I am going to die after tabata squats. Thanks for the testimonial. -Tim

11-24-2004, 01:54 PM	#7
Laura Rucker Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 845	Tim, the recovery time is one of the things I use as an indicator of my progress. After a really tough WOD, it usually takes me a lot less time to recover than it did when I started. I can actually do a WOD and an KB class in the same day now. Keep it up. This stuff is GREAT!

11-24-2004, 03:01 PM	#8
Larry Lindenman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 2,769	Awesome Job!! Imagine what you will be doning in a year. Keep up the great work.

11-24-2004, 03:23 PM	#9
Laura Rucker Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 845	Thanks, Larry. Jeff M: In a year, I want to be a BIG DAWG! WOOF!

11-24-2004, 05:08 PM	#10
Pat Janes Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 709	Great work, Laura..! I've got my wife and daughter on the Zone with me; next step, the WOD. It's inspirational to hear of people like yourself, who've come so far.