By the power of Grayskull!

Athlete Spotlight: Shira

Shira won CFSB’s 2^nd annual Paleo Challenge and cash prize by an impressive margin, thanks largely to her approach to the Challenge, to CrossFit and perhaps to life in general. 

I had to Google Shira’s favorite motivational WOD phrase “By the power of Grayskull!” (post your favorite to comments, please). I found that it’s the activation phrase required for Adam Prince of Eternia to perform a transformation sequence into his He-Man’s superhero alter-ego. How appropriate. To me, Shira sounds like a superhero name, so when Arbel introduced his little sister to me at the Holiday party I kind of chuckled to myself in my head (or was it audible?) thinking it was a cool name (or maybe I said so…).

The three of us chatted at the party and Arbel and I talked mostly about CrossFit which seemed to bore Shira a little (unfathomable). I asked her when she was going to join (not ‘if’) and she laughed at first then realized I was serious. She didn’t seem to find it encouraging that her brother was one of CFSB’s finest and really didn’t seem too into the idea, trying to shut me up perhaps with a final, “Maybe, we’ll see” or something like that. Looking back on it, I think she may have thought I was drunk (little did Shira know then she had just had a unicorn sighting – drunk Remy). Well, it took her a few months, but she made her way to an April on-ramp class.  

Fast-forward to  8 weeks ago around the end of Week 1 of the Paleo Challenge, Shira asked me about quantifying her intake of macronutrients (CHO, Pro and Fat—next week’s topic), what were optimal sources of food and quantities for leaning out while staying satisfied, kicking ass and hitting PRs. She got a leg up on the competition by sitting down with me for a few minutes sometime during Week 2 of the Challenge to figure out a good starting point for her. She took my blog posts and advice and put them straight to work. She experimented with cooking, and made steady, simple adjustments, an approach that paid big dividends.  

Her food log was impressive: nutrient dense, full of variety, DLG’s and high-quality fats, with smart and well-planned cheats. Her performance in the gym over the 8-week challenge was, well, if any of you have worked out with her, you know she gets down to business, focusing on technique and working on her goats a little after each class. ‘Shira’ in Hebrew means poetry or song. Shira’s double-unders could easily be CrossFit poetry in motion, as anyone would agree having seen the girl jump.  

She takes care of herself before and after with stretching. She manages to let loose when she needs and not take anything too seriously. Having a job and life, Shira is a great example of how to make somewhat major life adjustments (exercise in joining and adapting to CFSB and a new lifestyle/diet) effectively and gracefully. Have a look at her comments below and take a page out of Shira’s evolving paleo playbook.  

Name: Shira
Age: 27
Fran time: 9:25
Deadlift 1RM: 220
Favorite WOD song(s): anything Kid Cudi
Favorite motivational phrase you like shouted at you while working out: By the power of Grayskull!  

Q: How long have you been a member at CFSB?
A: 2+ months.  

Q: What is your day job?
A: Operations Specialist at the Rubicon Project.  

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Dancing, Snowboarding, Volleyball, Playing Pool, Chilling at the beach.  

Q: What is your athletic background?
A: I ran a half marathon about 4 years ago and have been working out ever since on a regular basis. I belonged to a variety of gyms and completed one cycle of P90X.  

Q: What is your proudest achievement?
A: It’s a toss up between finishing the half marathon and seeing my results after this Paleo Challenge. Both events in those moments were equally amazing and motivating.  

Q: What is your most desired goal?
A: To have a rock hard body!!!!!  

Q: If stuck on an island, what would be the three workouts/lifts you would bring with you and why?
A: Annie for the double unders that I love so much which in turn would keep my spirits up. Jackie because if I ever find a way to get off the island, having the endurance to row a bunch would come in handy.  And finally the Power Clean because you never know when you’re going to need to lift some heavy ass shit to survive!  

Q: Have you ever farted during a WOD?
A: Duh, who hasn’t…I’m just sneaky!  

Q: What is cooler than a ninja?
A: Bruce Lee  

Q: What coach do you hate the most?
A: Mariessa because she always makes me keep working when I just want to give up, but I guess that’s why I love her also!  

Q: Why do you CrossFit?
A: To get on Survivor before Arbel!!  

Q: Any advice for someone thinking about trying CrossFit or someone who has just started?
A: Suck it up and just do it! Seriously though, I’d say to ask lots of questions, focus on your technique and get out of your comfort zone.  

Q: Favorite place to eat?
A: Arbel’s after Remy has worked her magic.   

Shira, gettin' some!

Notes from Shira on going paleo…

Being on the Paleo diet for 8 weeks was pretty amazing but there were several bumps along the way. The first couple of weeks I overloaded on fruit and lara bars while struggling to get enough DLG’s in my daily regimen. My appetite increased and keeping moderate portions was the last thing on my mind. 

My body measurements didn’t change much after those 2 weeks, so I learned about using the Zone block method (with Remy’s help, of course!) to see if that would do the trick. It was complicated and very time consuming to keep track of, but after a couple of weeks it became second nature. The same goes for keeping the food log but having that to refer back to is very helpful. That extra time spent paying close attention to what and how much I was eating during every meal or snack was really the key to seeing significant results. 

Social outings became my time to be creative and figure out how I could work with what was in front of me. To my surprise, more times than not the meal I ordered was amazing, healthy, and most importantly Paleo. Also, being the only sober person out reminded me how funny drunk people are! Not drinking was easier than I thought it would be, especially with some comic relief.  

At the end of the 8 weeks, I noticed many positive results; a smaller waist, toned arms, a perky butt, smooth, clearer skin to name a few. Even more, my improvement in the WODs over these weeks was pretty sick. I went from a 1RM Deadlift of 148 in Week 1 to 220 the last week. I couldn’t believe it!  

As a whole, being on the Paleo diet is a major commitment that coincides with the same dedication you put in every day when showing up for a WOD. When you put the two together, it truly is amazing what can be accomplished and how great you feel as a result. I love it and can’t wait to see what’s next! 

Congrats to everyone who participated in the Paleo Challenge and look forward to the next Challenge with your feedback incorporated.

Mark your calendars… the next Nutrition 101 Seminar will be Saturday August 7th post-WOD.

Raw kale avo-pesto salad

4 ripe avocados
1 large bunch kale
2 large bunches basil
1/3 c pine nuts
2T EVOO
1/2 t salt
1 t lemon pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c lemon juice  

Toast pine nuts on low in a pan until golden brown. Clean, de-stem, and tear up into small pieces the bunch of kale, and put into a very large bowl. De-stem the basil, and chiffonade (chop real small) all the basil leaves and add to bowl. Half 4 avocados, criss-cross cut them and scoop out with a spoon into bowl, add EVOO and lemon juice. Massage vigorously with hands, squeezing the mixture between hands with your nice barbell grip. Crush garlic and add along with the cooled pine nuts, lemon pepper and salt and mix evenly throughout the salad. Enjoy!  

Workout of the Day 6/23/2010

A.  Press 3-3-3

B.   21 Ring Dips
21 Burpees
300M Run
15 Ring Dips
15 Burpees
300M Run
9 Ring Dips
9 Burpees
300M Run