Turkish Delight

For just a fleeting moment, join me in pretending that I might eat a turkish delight, a delicious concoction of sugar, nuts, rosewater, and lemon. Don’t they look like daydreams? They’re the edible equivalent of a Vegas showgirl’s costume. Pink and frothy and decadent.

Because I’m being as Zone perfect as possible, I’m not indulging in any Turkish treats these days: no coffee, no delights, no pilaf.

But thanks to Carey, I enjoyed some Turkish getups yesterday. That’s better than a delight, right?

Right?

Last July 14, I got curious about the Turkish getups so tried ’em with a 5-lb. dumbbell. But yesterday at CrossFit Women, we got to do them “for real.” It was sweat-tastic!

Our workout
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

• deadlift, 45-lb. dumbbells
• Turkish getup, 12-lb. kettlebell (on even numbers, split reps in half; on odd numbers, do all reps on each side)
• pushups, chest-to-ground

We had a 20-minute cutoff, and I kept pace with the group. Most of us got through round 6, which means we did 40 deadlifts, 40 pushups, and 28 Turkish getups on each side. Not bad.

I was filthy when we were finished — definitely not sweet and pink and frothy. The water ran black in the shower from the gym grunge on my knees and calves. Yay!

Today, I’m in hormone hell with cramps so bad my eyes are crossing.

I felt great when I woke up. Did my first official solo Spartan workout (5X 10 shoulder press w/ 20-lb. dumbbells) then a leisurely 3-mile run with a handful of 30-second pickups… la-la shower, breakfast, into the car according to schedule. But about halfway to the office, I turned around and came back home to take some pharmaceuticals and hit the hay ’til the cramps are gone.

Being a girl: Not always the best deal on the planet.