Still Doing CrossFit

Next month it will be one year since I attended my first CrossFit workout.

What is CrossFit?

CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.

Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.

The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.

While in Balad it started as a way to augment my weight loss. Then it became a personal challenge to do a pull-up (which I did on 28 June). After coming home I tried to do it myself at the regular gym (following the daily workout on CrossFit.com) but sometimes there wasn't the right equipment, or no way to time it properly.

A month later I found CrossFitLasVegas with trainers that helped me learn proper lifting technique and scaled workouts for success, safety and effectiveness. I also found a supportive community.

All of our workouts can be tracked on BeyondTheWhiteboard so progress can be measured. Every week I find myself doing something a little faster, a little stronger, or even just a little easier. The first time I did "Murph" it took 1 hour 23 minutes (using a treadmill for the running and a blue band for the pull-ups). A couple of weeks ago we did this WOD at CFLV. New time to beat: 51:59 (pull-ups with the red band, running outside. Pushups were not regulation but they will be the next time).



While in Balad my max effort on Deadlift was 155#. In January this year I lifted 180# and last week I did 2 sets of 5 lifts at 135# with 1 set at 145#.

Oh, and the original goal of weight loss? Definately seeing the difference. I hadn't felt comfortable in a bikini in YEARS.

Welcome to the 301st Fighter Wing and Medical Squadron

Introduced to the mission of the unit. Then to my squadron. The largest medical reserve unit in the USAF - providing support to the entire base and maintaining readiness to deploy anywhere in the world.

Many folks from here were in Balad with me last year! So great to see so many familiar faces. Some of them are going back this fall.

Here is my team:


We're building the Nutritional Medicine Element almost from scratch, I'm the first dietitian they've had in the unit. I volunteered to be alternate unit fitness monitor as well (there were a few folks impressed with my push-ups). Next time I'll talk with the squadron vice commander about additional duties in the administrative side (next time I deploy I want to be in the command hallway, not the kitchen - and transfering to a unit is how I can get the experience to do this).

First UTA Weekend at the 301st

Flew into Dallas-Ft Worth tonight.
Billeting put me up at the Sheraton downtown Ft Worth.
Tomorrow morning I figure out how to get to the base and find the newcomer's briefing. And learn all about Unit Reserve life.