Good morning!
Last night Matt and I enjoyed a relaxed dinner date at one of my longtime favorites, Faccia Luna in Clarendon, VA. I’ve been going there since childhood, and it remains a go-to for consistently good, reasonably priced pizza. If you’re in the Clarendon area and haven’t tried it, it’s worth a visit.
We kicked things off with drinks — wine for me and beer for Matt — and shared a starter salad dressed with their house-made balsamic vinaigrette, which was excellent.
For the main course we split a pizza topped with spinach, fresh basil, mushrooms, peppers, and pepperoni — a perfect mix of flavors. I went back for about two and a half slices. It was a beautiful evening, and we enjoyed the food, the pleasant weather, and some lively people-watching.
In fitness news, Matt and I attended CrossFit Dupont twice this week, on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Wednesday’s session focused on rack pulls, a partial deadlift variation that starts with the bar elevated on a rack rather than from the floor. I concentrated on form, driving with my legs instead of my lower back, and was able to use 95 lbs before my technique started to slip. We also practiced chin-ups; I still rely on assistance for full chin-ups, but I’m making steady progress.
After the strength work we moved into a quick boot-camp-style finisher: plate pinches. Each round required carrying a heavy plate for four court lengths when possible, then dropping the plate and sprinting the remaining distance. It was challenging and fun.
My plate was only 15 lbs and felt tough enough, while many others carried considerably heavier plates. I appreciate that CrossFit scales well for different fitness levels so everyone can get a productive workout regardless of strength.
Monday’s class included front squats, which I can only do lightly because tight shoulders and upper-back mobility limit my ability to hold the bar comfortably. With limited elbow elevation, the weight presses onto my wrists, which becomes painful and compromises form. I spent most of that session working on mobility and stretching with the help of the trainers. They were very supportive and even gave me a lacrosse ball to work on shoulder release at home — it’s painful but effective.
While I was glad to get guidance, I felt disappointed not to participate fully in the strength portion of the workout. With limited time in my day, I like to make that hour count as my main training, so it’s frustrating to sit out. For now I plan to continue dedicated mobility work at home and consider choosing classes that don’t rely on movements I can’t safely perform, until my range of motion improves.
On the bright side, I was able to do the push-ups included in Monday’s WOD, so progress is happening in other areas.
Overall it was a rewarding week: a great dinner, productive training sessions, and clear targets to improve mobility and technique. TGIF — off to work, then the weekend. Have a wonderful one!