Boxhop: CrossFit Den Bosch

You all remember Shannon, a.k.a. Sniffy. A couple of months ago she moved to the other side of the country, last time I visited her we did some photo shoots for this blog. This time she invited me over for a boxhop! She started doing CrossFit at CrossFit Den Bosch not so long ago and she asked me to join her for a workout. I immediately said yes, so I took a loooong train ride to Den Bosch where Shannon was waiting for me.
We arrived just in time to see the group before us doing Frann. My legs were just feeling a bit okay that day, but not for long! We did a fun workout in a big space with plenty of room and supplies.

Sniffy doing her thing!

Fitness: Thai Box training

When I started my new job at Dinnerware & CO, one of my colleagues invited me for the 5th edition of Wolfpack and Friends thai box training. I immediately said yes, I'm always up for trying a new sport. And with my kickboxing experience and CrossFit training, I thought it would be a piece of cake. Boy, I was wrong. It was though, heavy and most of all very sweaty. But I did have a great time and I really felt happy I worked out like that. Liset and I both were very sore afterwards, but hey! Soreness is a good thing. I'm feeling muscles I didn't even know I have. Lol!

Here are some more pictures:

Boxhop: Crossfit075, Wormer

This month's boxhop was one close to home. We went to Crossfit075 in Wormer. Ellen and I went there on our bicycles, so we had a pretty good warming up after a 30 minute bike ride! When we arrived Debbie and Marlous were already there. We started with some foam rolling and stretching. Ellen and I sure needed that, we were still a bit sore from friday's WOD. Sanne Rooijmans was our trainer that day (cool! and man, she's muscled) and we did a pretty fun workout. I forgot to take a picture from the white board, but it contained lots of push up, pull ups, squats and double unders. The weather was super hot that day, so we were sweating all over by the end of our training.
Like every month we went to have a post workout lunch, this time at De Bataaf in Wormer, where we all had a delicious carpaccio salad and lots of water to rehydrate.

It was really fun and I'm really sorry that it takes a 30 minute bike ride to get there, because I know I wont do that in winter, otherwise I'd definitely join that box. We already decided that we're coming back real soon.

I did take some pictures of the box:

Race report: Grachtenloop, Haarlem

Finished!

Like last year, Laura and I did the Grachtenloop in Haarlem, a 10 km run through the city center of this beautiful city. I picked up Laura and together we went to the train station to hop on a train to Haarlem. We arrived pretty early, so we had enough time to find our locker and change into our running gear.
Before the start we did a short warming up and some stretching. The weather was really warm and humid, so it didn't take long to warm up, lol!
It was very crowdy at the start, we pushed a bit forward, but not too much. We started a bit slow, we had to pass lots of people and it was very crowded. But after the first 5 km we had more space to run faster and we sure did. In the end we finished our 10 km in 54 minutes and 54 seconds, a little bit slower than last year, but we both are recovering from injuries, so I'm pretty happy about our time!

Ready to run!

Proof! :p

Race: Nike Women's Run Amsterdam

Finally, I got some time to sit down and tell you all about my experience during the Nike Women's Run in Amsterdam (10 KM). I signed up for this run, because last years pictures were super fun and I always wanted to run under the Rijksmuseum and finish in the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.

I made sure I didn't have any plans during the day, so I could just relax and enjoy some rest with the Mister. I decided to there early, right after dinner, because I got a bit nervous. I don't really know why, because I'm perfectly able to run 10 km and it sure wasn't my first run. When I got there I waited for my friends Joyce, Charlie from Charlie's Kitchen and Dani from Fitgirls.nl to arrive, when they did we got ourselves a locker and, the lockers were a bit small, but after a bit of struggling we managed to put all our stuff in there!

We met up with the rest of the Fitgirls. It was super fun to meet everybody in real life! After a bit of dancing (to keep ourselves warm) on the music, it was time for a warming up! It was a lot of fun to see everybody in the same shirt jumping up and down! When we were a bit warmer, we went to the start! I decided to start together with Charlie and Dani, because I had to run a bit slower for my shins and because it's more fun to run together!

And I actually really enjoyed myself during the run, because Charlie and I weren't running for a PR, we got to really enjoy our surroundings. Amsterdam is beautiful by night, all the lights, a swarm of women in light orange shirts on the other side of the canal, people supporting everybody with music, smiles and high-fives.. We were running with smiles on our faces. And best of all, Dani did run a PR, so we were super happy for her too!

When we finished in the stadium, there were so many people there cheering for everybody, it was amazing. We got a delicious frozen yogurt with apple pie flavor, we really needed some sugar, so we enjoyed every bite! We also got a finishers bracelet, it's really pretty and so much more fun than a regular medal. In the end, it was a super fun race and we finished in 1 hour and 4 minutes. Definitely not a record, but that wasn't what I was running for. I ran for the experience, and it was totally worth it! Next year I'm in again!

Boxhop: CrossFit Heerhugowaard

Last sunday it was time for another boxhop with the girls! Boxhopping is when you're visiting other CrossFit boxes than your own. Last time I visited CrossFit Victrix in Alkmaar and this time we picked out a new box. CrossFit Heerhugowaard opened it's doors last January and it still looks brand new. We felt very welcome there, they are were all really nice.
We started with a short warming up and 30 burpees for time before we started with a long and heavy WOD (Workout Of the Day). There's a photo of the workout down below in a photo.

The Workout Of the Day.

Post WOD selfie!

After our workout we left the box with shaking hands and an empty stomach, so we went to Wonders Heerhugowaard for a lovely lunch. I had a carpaccio salad and some tea, yummie!

Carpaccio salad!

Fitness: Back to running!

The last time I wrote about running, it wasn't a positive post. I ended up with shin splints right before all the big runs I signed up for. I ended up at the sideline supporting my friends, but deep inside I felt like crying, because I wanted to participate too.

Hopefully this year will be different. I'm really careful, so I'm building up my speed and kilometers slowly. I'm trying not to care about finishing faster than the last time, or setting new PR's, the most important thing for me right now, is that I'm able to run my favorite races.
Spring is my sign to start running again. It gets lighter in the evening and that means I'm able to run alone after dinner. Next to a full-time job, it's almost impossible to go running in winter, because I don't run alone after dark. I run in daylight, I prefer sunshine and I don't mind hot weather. So, spring and summer is my time to shine!

The plan right now is to run a short round (about 5 km) one time a week on a workday, next to CrossFit 2 to 3 times a week. In the weekends I'm going to build up the kilometers. I started with 5 km and every week I'll add another KM. Right now I'm at 9 km and may 16th I have my first 10 km race planned, so I'm right on schedule. I'll stay on 10 km for a couple of weeks, before I'm adding more again.

This year I've signed up for:
May 16th - Nike Women's Run, Amsterdam (10 KM)
June 19th - Midzomernachtcross, Amsterdam (10 KM)
June 26th - Grachtenloop, Haarlem (10 KM)
September 20th - Dam tot Damloop, Amsterdam/Zaandam (16,1 KM)

Outfit: Gym time!

You can find me at the gym (or CrossFit box) three times a week, so why not share a different kind of outfit today? One to work out in. When my CrossFit coach was on vacation, Shannon and I decided to use the opportunity to work out together again at my local gym, Unique Fitness in Zaandam. A small, but cozy gym with everything you need! We were alone, so plenty of space and time to do a little photoshoot!

Don't forget to hydrate!

What I'm wearing:
Sports jacket: Björn Borg - Shirt: Jorrit Baars - Leopard leggings: Asics - Crossfit shoes: Reebok Nano's - Drinking bottle: Runnersworld - Sports bra: H&M.

Ass to the grass front squat.

Lat pull down.

Fitness: Boxhop to CrossFit Victrix in Alkmaar, The Netherlands

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Debbie and I decided we wanted to go Box hopping (Visiting other CrossFit boxes and do a WOD there). She first joined me to the box where I go to and last sunday it was time to visit hers! So I went on a train to Alkmaar where I met Debbie and Jens (who was joining us!). Together we walked to the location of CrossFit Victrix.

We had a warm welcome with tea and I met a couple of girls, whom I already knew from Instagram (Anouschka and Marloes), super fun! After we changed into our workout clothes it was time to start! We began with a warming up and some foam rolling. Cool! We don't have foam rollers at my box, so this was something new for me. I liked the 'good pain' it gave me, lol. When we were ready with rolling, the trainer explained the WOD to us and we set everything up.


The WOD:
7 rounds for time

• 10 ring push ups
• 10 overhead squats
• 10 side box jumps

Man, it was though. After the 3th round my shoulders already began to ache, but I kept going and I ended the workout in 18 minutes.
When we were done, we got more tea and relaxed a bit, then we got ready for lunch at Echt Alkmaar. More about that later this month!

It was super fun to try out another box and I can't wait to try out some more, maybe in Florida next month!

Food & Fitness Diary: Week 03

People are often very interested in what I eat, how often I work out and how I work out. So that's why I came up with the idea of keeping a week long food and fitness diary. I liked doing this so much, I'm planning on doing this on a monthly base. I'm not adding my drinks, but I drink water all day long and about 3 cups of green tea every day.

Monday:
I have a 9 to 5 full time job as a graphic designer, so I always have lots of food with me to the office. Because our trainer promised us a heavy CrossFit workout tonight, I'm planning on eating enough, so I'll have all the energy I'm gonna need for that workout!

Fitness: A month of Yoga

A couple of months ago, Laura and I decided that we want to try out yoga, since we both aren't very flexible and often have cramps because of all the running and other sports we do. So, we signed up for a two hour introduction class at a local yoga studio, Yoga Dreams in Zaandam. After the introduction class we could try out every class for a month.

So what exactly is yoga? I was kinda scared for a room full with girls in very stretchy clothes, trying to tie themselves into impossible knots. I was wrong. There were lots of different people, which is fun. We first learned what Yoga is; Yoga is a series of very precise body weight postures and movements which are designed to improve the body in important areas.There are LOTS of poses, focusing on different goals to develop both strength and flexibility at the same time.
Along with those poses there's a lot of breathing going on. Breath in, breath out. Controlling and optimizing your breath is very important to do proper yoga.

During our introduction class we learned a lot about breathing, we did some basic poses, pretty manageable. We also learned about all the different kinds of yoga classes they give at the studio. They have lots of options. We learned that yoga is a chance to relax and treat yourself right, to fix your neglected and over used body and prepare for the next challenge. That sounds pretty good, right? Since I've started CrossFit, not a week goes by without sore muscles and I could use some more stretching.

So after our introduction class, we got together to see what classes we'd like to take: We decided to do neck, back and shoulder yoga, since we both have stiff shoulders from work. We also wanted to do Ashtanga Vinyasa (Power Yoga) and Kundalini.

Okay. So we did all of these classes and I liked Ashtanga Vinyasa best. We did the Basic class and we did lots of poses for strength and balance. I liked it because it wasn't as vague as I thought it would be. We also did classes where we had to focus on our 3th eye (wait, my what?), stuff like that just doesn't work for me. At the end of each class we had a relaxing exercise, controlling your breathing and focussing on your body relaxing. It was a bit too relaxed for me, because each time I almost fell asleep!

In the end I really believe yoga could be good for you, very good. I noticed my posture was better after a yoga class, all the stretching helped me with my sore muscles from CrossFit. But, I'm not continuing my yoga experience. I'm just to busy. A full time job, CrossFit 3 evenings a week, keeping up this blog and name paintings business, Yoga would be too much. Our teacher would disagree of course, it could be just what I need. One hour to relax and just think of me. And you know what, maybe she is right (but when?).

Fitness: A month of Crossfit

After last fitness update about running, I want to tell something about what I'm doing right now, Crossfit. When I was in the States for a vacation 2 years ago, one of my cousins told me about Crossfit. And she was so excited about it, she got me excited too. But, Crossfit is expensive and not the only sport I want to do, since I also want to bootcamp and run. Thinking about my budget, I decided to go to a local gym instead. I've had lots of fun there, I often worked out with my boyfriend, Wouter and with my friend Shannon. Every six weeks I got a new fitness schedule and I saw the changes in my body.

Then I kinda grew tired of the gym after 2 years and I was looking for something new. I've been doing kickboxing before I went to the gym and I tried out almost every kickbox gym in my area, but I didn't feel really comfortable in any of them. Then Ellen, another friend of mine, told me about the gym where she does Crossfit. A smaller gym, not to far away from my house and not as expensive as the big(ger) Crossfit boxes. Just what I was looking for! When my shins were healed I went with her to try it out and I loved it! I was physically and mentally challenged again and I went home with shaking legs and arms. I signed up that same week.

I like how 'Crossfitters' workout for achievements in stead of looks. Being proud of doing a 'clean and jerk' with more weight than last week in stead of being proud of a muscle that stands out more than yesterday. There are no girls who blow-dry their hair before a workout at the gym, there's no use in looking pretty, because after a Crossfit WOD everybody is a mess, lol.

Crossfit workouts incorporate elements from high-intensity interval training, olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, girevoy sport, calisthenics, strongman and other exercises. So there's plenty of room for variation and that's what I like. I'm doing Crossfit 2 to 3 times a week and not one evening is the same. Right now I'm combining it with yoga and a little bit of running (still have to run carefully because of my shins), but more about that later.

Right now I've been doing Crossfit for almost 2 months and I'm already feeling stronger. Every week I can do a little bit more and try out new things. I love it. I also decided with my friend Debbie, that we're going to try out different Crossfit 'boxes' or gyms all over the country. That's called boxhopping. She's joining me at my gym soon and next is hers. Of course I'll tell you all about it right here on my blog :)

Sportswear: My fave's from Nike's spring 2015 collection

On October 22nd, Nike unveiled their spring 2015 woman collection and I fell in love. You can check out the full collection here, but I wanted to share my two favorite items with you here.

Nike Flyknit Lunar 3
The Nike Flyknit Lunar 3 marries a Flyknit upper with a soft and responsive Lunarlon midsole to give runners an ultra-light plush and responsive ride. The evolved upper design features Flyknit with a tighter knit structure in the heel for support and a looser knit structure in the forefoot for increased breathability, stretch and support. The midsole features reformatted Lunarlon cushioning that delivers a lighter, more responsive plush ride. The Nike Flyknit Lunar 3 will be available beginning Feb. 12, 2015 in six different colors for women.

Isn't it a beauty! This is sooo on my wishlist :)

Nike Epic Lux Printed Tight 
The Nike Epic Lux Printed Tight offers solutions specific to the needs of runners. It features a wide elastic waistband and internal drawcord, ensuring that she can focus on mile two of her half marathon, not the fit of her tights. A zippered back pocket serves to house personal items such as keys, and reflective elements provide enhanced visibility for runs in low-light conditions. The tight’s soft Dri-FIT fabric works to pull sweat away from the skin to help keep her dry and comfortable, while ventilation is built into key sweat zones to provide cooling. The Nike Epic Lux Printed Tight will be available beginning Jan. 8, 2015.

Oh my, I need to save my pennies..

Run: Update (a sad one)

Because I was planning on writing a little blog post about every run I signed up for, I'm writing you an update. I always kept this blog 'positive', I didn't want any negativity on my blog, but I feel like I need to share my running story with you, even though it's not a fun one. But it's reality, so here it is.

Well people. I failed. I was doing really good, even bettered my personal record on the 10 EM in june, but about 1,5 months before all the 'big' runs I've signed up for, I got shin splints. Am I kidding you? Nope. I've never ran as much in my life as this year and I've never enjoyed it as much as I did a couple of weeks ago. I went on an 18 km run and felt good afterwards (wait, whut?), but all the running and the fact that my running shoes were 1,5 years old, messed up my shins. Because of my high pain level I didn't feel the injury fast enough and when I did, it was too late. No more running, no more bootcamp, not even a lot of (just) walking.

So this year I've missed my favorite run, the Dam tot Damloop (10 EM), I'm not able to do MudMasters (18 KM) and I'm sooo bummed I'm not able to run my first half marathon with Laura. I wasn't only looking forward to these races, I've also payed lots of money for all of them.

So, this is why there won't be a lot of running updates on my blog this year, but I'm already looking forward to next years running season and hopefully I'll run my first half marathon when I'm 30. It does sounds like a good (to-do in my 30's) challenge, right?