WOD: Teams of 4
            4 Rounds
            75: P2OH, V-ups, HRPU

Have you seen this picture circulating on Facebook?

I can't tell you how much this is pissing me off. I don't know why. I guess I don't have anything more pressing to worry about than the meal that you are going to prepare for your family tonight. This post makes me want to vomit.

Because I was so annoyed by the ingredients, I entered it in to an app to figure out the exact breakdown:
834 calories per serving
49 grams of fat
1 gram of fiber

Here's an idea, stick to a chicken breast and a serving of green beans. Heck, even throw in a dinner roll for good measure if you like the bread!

(okay, I'm done)

WOD: 21-15-9
            Box Jumps/ Push Press

Strength: EMOTM
                Hang Clean, Hang Squat Clean

Run: incline 6/ 2 miles

I know I say this every time I get up early, but working out at 5:30am gives me so much more energy in the morning. The best part is that I actually get to work on time! My plan is to continue doing this when Nick isn't at work until 6am and then all summer.

We are headed east to my mom's house for the weekend. My favorite part about visiting her is going to Crossfit Cohesion. It is, by far, my favorite gym. It's so simple. It's old school Crossfit not the new amped up gyms with every gadget and gizmo. And the people there are so friendly. I walk in and everyone treats me like I have been going there for years. I love it.

I would give you an update on my food habits but at the current moment that doesn't exist. Yesterday was a great day. If I can get through about 10 clean days I'm usually good to go. Recently, I have found some motivation to keep moving. Hopefully it doesn't wear off!

tis the season

WOD: 12 Days of Christmas
Run: 1 mile walk on incline

Christmas Eve is one of my favorite days of the year. We started with an early morning WOD with a group of friends:

Now that the holiday binge eating is over, it's back at it for major changes in 2014. This is not a New Year's Resolution, this is just part of the every day challenges of trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

I need a goal....something that isn't Put-In-Bay in August. That's too far away. I need something in May/June.

WOD: Partner Dianne
           21-15-9 Deadlift/ HSPU
           While partner 1 is doing deadlift, partner 2 does handstand hold.
           While partner 1 is doing HSPU, partner 2 hold deadlift weight.
            Switch.

Skill: Max box jump (Pr'd by 1/2 inch)

So, the best part of moving to our new house is that I am sitting here drinking my wine, fiddling around on the computer and I can't see or hear anyone else in this house. The boys have a friend spending the night and Nick is in the bedroom watching tv. This is heaven.

 

I'm planning on waking up early in the morning to get a WOD in before all the chaos begins. My goal is to hold off on all sugar until as late as possible. Once I start eating junk, I can't quit.

 

I have a pale Christmas dinner planned for tomorrow evening. It should be exciting. I don't have a recipe for my oven roasted sweet potato/squash idea. I'm going to just try something and hope it goes well. One thing I know for sure, I'm NOT using the apple slicer!

 

Merry Christmas to all of my friends. May the Lord bless you and be with you throughout the holiday season and may you take the time to remember this special holiday with the the ones you love the most!

 

 

(The M&Ms are for the kids....I can look at those all day and not eat them.)

 



WOD: Christmas Party teams of 8

WOD am: Teams of 2
                  50 DBRows
                  100 SitUps
                  150 Push Ups
                  200 Box Jumps

Run: 1 mile

I had a lot of fun at the Christmas party last night. I had to cut out early to get home so I probably missed all the fun stuff. I'm an extreme extrovert so it was hard for me to leave knowing that so many people would still be there but I had to get home.

Today it has been raining almost non stop. Our sump pump got stuck so I'm limited to the house for the day to  make sure the basement doesn't flood.

Three wonderful people made my day today: my friend Mandi let us borrow the UHaul truck to pick up a piano. My friend Michael helped Nick move the piano (in the rain and after a comp team WOD this am). Stephanie for giving us the piano so Josalyn can continue to take her lessons.

and then something amazing happened...... I had to pay the bills. I hate doing this. I dread doing it. I wait until I'm alone and I wait until the very last minute. As I'm going through the bill basket to determine what is junk and what needs paid, I come across a check. I opened up the mail, threw away the envelope and never opened the paper. There was a check that was issued on December 1 for over $1,000!!! JACKPOT! I'll pay more attention next time.

Blessed is a word that is overused so often on facebook. People are blessed to be blessed. But today was truly a testament of how lucky we are to have such wonderful friends to share our lives with.

It's just a great day (and a sore day). Did I mention that I can't move?!

WOD: 21-15-9
            Deadlift/Pull Ups

Strength: 1 RM Deadlift

Run: 1 mile

I have this need for control. I know, you are shocked right now, aren't you? About 5 years ago, I was complaining to my mom that Connor just bounced all over the furniture from one spot to the next. He would remind you of a baby cheetah pouncing in the wild. My mom calmly replied, "Oh well, they are only small for a short amount of time, who cares."

From that conversation, my attitude has changed. My old attitude (that still rears it's ugly head) was to yell at the boys and tell them to quit jumping around. We have nice things because we work and take care of them. Jumping on the furniture would only ruin it. For me, it was a matter of respect. My new attitude smiles as I watch them get out some of their energy. Growing up, my mom had my old attitude. It changed over time (and as a grandparent). But it made me realize, I don't want my kids to remember me constantly nagging.

Disclaimer: I know there is a time and place for the furniture jumping. I don't think it's acceptable in our formal living room with the china cabinet nor while we are visit with guests at a house that is not our own.

I am slowly (and I mean slowly) realizing the couch is just a couch. It's really not hurting anything. In a few years, no one will want to bounce off my furniture. No one will set up relay races in the tv room with finish line ribbons attached to cabinet doors or want to practice wrestling moves with his mom or do cartwheels until too dizzy. And what we will have??? Nice furniture? or wonderful memories. 

Life is making the time we have together memorable, special, and worth living for because the next day will be just as good (if not better)!

xoxo

Early morning: light 2 miles

WOD: 30 FSQ
           30 T2B
           20 Power Cleans
           20 T2B
          10 Squat Cleans
          10 T2B

Run: 3 miles

(Today just happens to be one of those days that I have more free time. I typically don't do this much activity. But I also don't typically eat the junk that I have found myself consuming for the last week, either.)

Can you think of a person, in your life, that has a negative attitude? The negative attitude often carries into all aspects of his/her life. And that person also seems to be the loudest or the first heard. AND, the voice that stays with you. The voice you hear in your head over and over again.

Then, there is that positive, encouraging voice that is in the other corner. The voice that warms your heart and makes you smile.  The voice that as soon as you hear, you quickly dismiss with an excuse.

These two voices are the same volume. You choose to hear one over the other. You choose to let the negative person drag you down. You choose to ignore the encouragement. I once was told that you have to give 7 compliments for 1 criticism.  But you get the point.

We have control over this. We allow ourselves to give up the power of our emotions and let others control the way we feel. We all deserve to be happy and to learn to listen for the "quiet" voices and dis empower to the loud voice.

back at it

WOD: Cindy
Run: 3 miles (sprint/walk)

I shaved :44 off my last Cindy time. It was the longest 4 minutes of my life, but I already know I can beat that time. I'm excited to go at it again.

Fun facts that you might not know about me:
1. I'm the middle child.
2. I went on a weekend getaway with Nick when we had been dating 2 months (19 &20 years old) and we almost eloped.
3. My favorite food is asparagus.
4. When training for a race, I only run in even miles. I also don't stop until I have hit the exact number. I will never run past that number and I don't round.
5. In the past 9 1/2 years, I have only hated my job 1 day.
6. I have major OCD tendencies but really suppress a lot of that so others will enjoy being around me.
7. We gave Connor his name because of the Scott/Lacy Peterson trial that was going on when I was pregnant.
8. Parker's middle name is a family name given to him from my step-grandmother's side of the family.
9. My favorite WOD has wall balls.
10. I hate wearing blue jeans.
11. For fun, on my 30th birthday, my sister and I ran 17 miles. It it my favorite birthday memory.
12. The favorite thing about my life is being a mommy!

WOD: rest, rest, rest

Again, I have no excuse. I must be going into hibernation mode as the winter temperatures are dropping and the snow is falling! I can work out at home. I have a treadmill and I have the CF equipment. BUT, I'm tired. I'm tired because I'm not working out. I'm not working out because I'm running around like a mad woman, blah blah blah.

I will be at the gym tonight. I will do the posted workout and I will run at least 3 miles.

I went to Connor's first wrestling tournament yesterday. I was not prepared for that organized chaos. I will know next time to pack a cooler for all of us. It made me sick. There were at least 200 young, growing kids there and the concession stand had JUNK food. Pizza, nachos, shredding chicken (barf), candy bars, chips and soda. Besides being overpriced, the food was horrible. All these kids doing a physical activity that need healthy carbs and fats to keep their energy going all day and what do they offer? Cow tails and sour patch kids. And by fault, it was the lady standing there taking my order that I blamed. Of course, all her fault.

Rest Day.

I can't believe that I didn't work out last night. It was my intention to go to the gym this morning at 5am so I went to bed early and when I text Nick to tell him goodnight, he informed me that he would be leaving the house at 5:45am. That cancelled my plans! Ugmpf.

Tonight is my annual Cookie Exchange with my Reasons to Run friends. I'm looking forward to exchanging cookies and receiving lots of different varieties in return! YUMMY! It makes the holiday season more bearable because I always have a fresh variety of cookies but only have to bake once!

I won't be able to get to the gym this weekend so I hope to get some miles in outside. It's such a beautiful time of year. I love the snow and running past houses and seeing the lights and Christmas trees.

winter wonderland

WOD: Row 500 for time
            EMOTM 10 min
            Powerclean + Hang Squat Clean
            EMOTM 10min (heavy weight)
            Power Clean


Run: 3 miles easy (outside)

Today is our office Christmas party. I feel like I have strong enough will power to walk away from the sweets. Do you ever find that when overweight people pile on massive amounts of crap food on their plate, you are no longer hungry? Yeah, that's me. But, that's another day.

I was trying to figure out ways to curb the garbage disposal inclination that I typically resort to during this time of year. The cookies and snacks are always laying around the office or the kitchen waiting for the first innocent victim. I am going to try a new approach. Instead of trying to tell myself I will only eat one, I bought some Luna bars. I have never bought them before. I don't even know if I will like them. My plan is to cut them up in fudge-like chunks and put them out on a tray. That way I can still experience the getting up and down, shoving food in my mouth and feeling like I can enjoy a sweet treat!

nothing will ever be good enough

WOD: 3 partner team/ 14 min AMRAP
            2 wall balls 20#
            1 rope climb
            4, 6, 8, 10, 12.....

Run: 1 mile sprint

It's Monday evening and I have found myself sitting in front of the computer. Mostly, because I don't want to watch Little Mermaid for the millionth time.

I debated going to the gym tonight. I could have stayed home and ran on the treadmill but I tricked myself into thinking that being around others would make the miles go by quicker. As soon as I entered, I saw the workout and the rest is history. I was on that mat and doing the group stretch in about 90 seconds. Addicted. I did manage to get in a quick mile at the end.

The last couple of weeks I have been doing some self reflecting. I am really hard on myself. I don't know if it's OCD or Type A personality or my ESTJ Myers-Briggs type...whatever the reason, I am never satisfied. Something can always be done better and more efficiently. This isn't just at the gym. This attitude pours into every aspect of my life. At work as soon as a project has been completed, I'm already trying to figure out how long I can wait before the next version. At home, my house is never clean enough, the yard is never manicured enough, the shrubs need trimmed every day, the windows have streaks, and so on. And then there's the gym. Oof.

I have often wished that I could just be satisfied and happy with the current status of things. I clean my house every weekend. I dig out weeds with my bare hands. I pour my mind into my job. I stress school, performance, attendance, effort to my kids. I go to the gym 5 days a week. I run at least 4 days a week. Can't I reflect back on a week and just be happy? Can't I take a day and just rest? Can I sit back and say, "I'm doing a good job."  I wish it were that easy. But, it's not.

Is that okay? Absolutely. When things start to become "okay" or "just good enough" they slip. Goals become reevaluated, diets begin to fail, housework slips, jobs become status quo and the gym is no longer the routine. Striving for continuous improvement is motivation. The drive to always want to be better gives the sense of satisfaction. It's okay to never be satisfied. It's okay to want more.

{Side note: I do expect a lot from my children. But, I do take the time to enjoy their accomplishments and praise them for a job well done. I embrace the time I have with them when they are so small. I am satisfied every day by the things they teach me and the way I see them interact with others.}

Katie and I sporting our competition t-shirts in front of the gym Christmas tree after our WOD!
BOOM-SAUCE!

that's a wrap!

WOD: Winter Rendezvous

This competition was a little more fun than the last one I did. I didn't really get nervous or start to freak out until the morning of the competition.

Nick and I arrived in Bloomington, IN on Friday night. We drove through an ice storm at about 35 mph for 5 hours. We registered for the event and had a great dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Yummy prime rib and a sweet potato.

We checked into the hotel only to find out that there was no cable, no internet, and no hot tub. Everything broke from the ice. We both took medicine and went to bed! So much for a romantic evening!

Saturday was so much fun. I packed enough food to feed both of us for at least 3 days. I had water, clothes and snacks so nobody would be hungry.

Dianne and I ended up placing 13th overall (out of 30 teams) when our goal was to not get last. Dianne had a clean PR and I PRd my bear complex and my 2 rep clean! We laughed and had so much fun.

My plan for this week is to hit the treadmill! Taking it easy from CF and putting some miles on my feet!

Infinity Fitness + Dianne!

4 days....

Rest Day.

It's Wednesday, 8:51am, and I have checked the Internet at least 5 times already this morning to see if the 2013 Winter Rendezvous workouts have been posted.

I am officially in freak out mode. I was in bed last night and I got up, grabbed the PVC pipe and started working on my snatch balance and pistols. It's kinda like cramming for a test the day before. It doesn't really work!

On my way to work this morning that feeling set in. All those thoughts that try to talk me out of it were racing through my mind. My stomach sunk. My hands got cold and clammy. Great. I have to deal with this for 4 more days.

Everyone keeps saying that this is "just for fun" but the FUN doesn't really set in until it is over.  I'd rather just run.....

I'll post again after I see the movements and can discuss my plan of attack!

WOD: Elizabeth
 
Run: 4.5 miles before WOD

I am sure I'm messing up my WOD by running directly before, but this time I did it on purpose. I wanted to try to push through a WOD while extremely tired to see how far I could go before I lost all my fuel. I got to the 15 reps of dips and pooped out!

This is one of my favorite quotes:
"Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something.
You got a dream, you gotta protect it.
People can't do something themselves
They wanna tell you that you can’t do it
You want something, go get it. Period." -Pursuit of Happiness

I say this over and over again in my head. It just hits home. So many times I have pushed myself to do things that are out of my comfort zone. From my first 5k, half marathon, full, tri and now these crazy Crossfit competitions. The minute I begin to get comfortable, I get bored. Constantly pushing myself to try new things keeps it interesting and challenging.

Rest Day

Run:  easy 3 miles

I barley have enough time to blog...I'm too busy shopping online today!

I have been logging my miles and counting my Crossfit gym sessions ever since I started. I track how many times I go to the gym mostly because of the cost. I tell myself if I can't get there enough, I don't need to be spending the money. It's always interesting to look back and see the patterns. I logged 49.5 miles last month and 25 CF WODs. My miles are beginning to pick back up. My goal for December is 65 miles.

Two dear friends mastered the ring muscle up (4 in a row to be exact) over the weekend. I'm not surprised, they both put in the effort and the time. It's a very well deserved accomplishment for both of them!

I have 6 days until my next competition and I started to think I'd better be working on HSPUs and pistols. Once again, cramming everything in at the last minute. This was supposed to be fun, remember? If I think about competing my armpits get all sweaty and my palms get clammy. AHHHH!

the downward sprial...

WOD: 10 rounds w/ partner
             5 cleans (95#)
            10 front squats
              5 jerks
             20 pull ups

Run: 3 COLD miles

Okay....We've all been there. Now, it's my turn. My plan was to go to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving dinner and leave without leftovers. My plan didn't include going back to my mom's house and eating pizza (which I ignored the first day but ate a piece the second day) or buying fudge and eating it or drinking diet coke all weekend! What the heck?! And, it gets worse. I went to church tonight and snacked on M&Ms that were for gingerbread houses. EEEKKKK!

My sister invited me to join this group "going streaking" which is a group through Runner's World that is committed to running 1 mile a day from Thanksgiving through the new year. I've gone at least 3 miles every day.

I'm going to wake up tomorrow and start the day off right. I'm done with the crap. It could have been a lot worse but it wasn't as perfect as I would like it to be. I need to get a grip before it's too late!!!


            

WOD: Cindy

Run: 3 miles

I rarely try explaining to someone what Crossfit is all about. One could google the work and find information online. I'm sure you can find lots of opinions on the technique used and the pros and cons of olympic lifting.

One thing that can't be explained or defined is the community that is built in the gym. You just have to witness it to understand. I have experienced it at multiple gyms.

Any time I am home visiting my family, I go to Crossfit Cohesion. I have really gotten to know some of the people there and look forward to my visits. So much this time, I actually did a two-a-day! Wednesday evening when I arrived, I was the only one there for the 5:30pm class. They were working on their Crossfit total so it was a lot of lifting. I had just done C&J that morning and I had done snatch work the day before. I didn't want to do that. The trainer suggested doing "Cindy" because they had done it the day before. Two guys overheard us talking and offered to stay and workout with me so I didn't have to do it alone. They had already done that workout but were working on a pull up challenge so they did pull ups as I did the 20 min WOD.

Then, the next act of kindness: After they were finished with their push ups for that minute, they jumped off the bar and kept cheering for me to finish my round. Have I ever mentioned that I SUCK at push ups?! Holy smokes I was tired!

It was a great workout. Even as a visitor, they were there to help and encourage me. It was the best feeling in the world.

Plus, I didn't feel guilty eating my Thanksgiving feast the next day!

WOD: 8 rounds
            10 KB Swings 53#
            30 DUs

Strength: EMOTM 20 min
                Squat Snatch
                10 min
                even: 2 C&J 115#
                odd: 5 Strict Pull Ups

Run: 2 miles

The above is a combination of a late night work out and a 5:30am workout. I think I have enough juice left in the tank for another WOD tonight at my visiting gym!!!

After I worked out last night, I got my hair cut (at the gym). I always go back and forth about having bangs. It doesn't matter most of the time because they are pulled back in a headband.

Happy Thanksgiving!

WOD: Teams of 2
            5 min AMRAP
            7 Thrusters 65#
            1 Rope Climb
            5 min AMRAP
            7 wall balls 20#
            5 box jumps 24"

Run: 4 miles

I've been running on the treadmill at the gym. It's a nice change of pace to staring at the brick walls in my section of the unfinished basement where my treadmill is located. Nobody ever passes me on the treadmill and says, "I love running!" Instead, I hear, "how far are you going?" "I hate running" or some comment about being an overachiever. All of the comments are fine. Nothing really annoys me.

It's okay to hate running. It's okay to hate Crossfit. It's okay to hate zumba, cycling, or yoga. You can hate whatever you want to hate. If you don't like something, don't do it! Find what you like or find different activities that you like and do that!

The worst feeling is running on a day that I don't feel like running. Or going to the gym to start a WOD when I don't want to be there. Certain activities can get old. Try something new.

I took a few months off of running. Okay, maybe almost a year! BUT, recently I slowly starting increasing my miles. Yesterday, I had my headphones in and was listening to my guilty pleasure of the 80s music and that feeling was there. Running clears my mind. Running opens my heart. Running gives me time to talk to God. Running makes me aware of what I have to be thankful for. When all of those things begin to happen, the tears come. I started crying. That feeling of being in control of where I was going and thankful that I was able to get there. THAT feeling is what pushes me to the next mile and the next mile and the next mile. I love running.

Find what gives you that feeling and don't stop!

an apple a day...

WOD: 7 rounds for time
           7 Burpees
           7 T2B

I came straight home from the gym on Friday evening to a package in my door. My new slicer had been delivered from Pampered Chef. I was so excited, I opened it up and attempted to use it. After the third slice, a chunk of my finger became part of the apple slices.

Calmly, I applied pressure and told Josalyn to call her dad at work. In less than 5 minutes, I was headed to the hospital in the police cruiser.

A co-pay, tetanus shot and a lot of bandages later, I was home!

Saturday's WOD was interesting. I was able to do everything with little modifications (just shifted my weight around that finger). Luckily, my partner dropped a 53# KB on my foot so the pain quickly shifted from my thumb to my foot. Oof.

After the workout, I came home to face the slicer again. It was time to show that blade who was boss.

Strength: OHS
Run: 4 miles for time

Public Service Announcement: If your child is overweight, it's not cute. It's not funny. It's not baby weight. It's not a growth spurt waiting to happen. Do something about it.

fixer problem

WOD: 3 rounds 14 min CAP
            21 DU
            15 Front Squats (95#)
              9 HSPU

Run: 1 mile

I have this problem...it's a horrible problem. Recently, it has caused me some problems at work. When my life problems overflow into my work or vice verse, I know it's time for some intervention.

I have this driving need to want to "fix" people. It probably stems back to something my parents did or didn't do to me as a child that has created this need to want to help everyone and seem to think that I am just the person to do it. (My parents did a fine job of raising me. I only blame them because that seems to be the trend these days. Nobody wants to be accountable for their actions so they just blame their parents.)

From my own experiences, I know that fixing someone isn't going to work. The person needs to figure out the problem and how to work through it. I can't do your work for you to make you more productive during the work day, I can't feed you the right foods, I can't move your feet to get up, I can't do it! I spend SOOOO much energy trying to help. Part of this weakness comes from my passion about health and wellness. I LOVE to sit and talk to people about that. But, those conversations are cyclical. In a few months, we will be talking about it again. Nothing is changing. Take me "trying to fix" the person out of the equation and it's still the same behavior.

I hope that through my actions, I inspire someone in my lifetime. I don't even have to know who or when. But, I will no longer be the "fixer". You can no longer come to me wanting me to give the solution. I am tired. It's not working. It's not my purpose. I won't tell you what I think you should do. I won't tell others what I think you should be doing, either! BUT, I will still (run, stand, life) behind you, beside you, or maybe even in front of you CHEERING for you.

a contagious feeling

Rest Day.

Feeling good is contagious! I walked in the office this morning and one of my co-workers said, "I feel really good today." She stood up and walked over by my desk. I noticed she had on a fitted top and pants. She looked amazing. Most of her clothes are too big but she said that the pants had the price tags on them for 6 years. No wonder she felt great! I was so happy for her. Her smile and attitude affected everyone that worked with her today.

I took the afternoon off to finish my Christmas shopping (it's easy when children give you specific requests). I was in such a good mood. The entire experience was so pleasant. I almost wish I would have had someone with me to share it with. It was such a perfect day.

When you feel good, share it. Feelings go a long way. So often we are quick to share our struggles and complaints. Everyone deserves to see our happy side, too!

seriously, these shoes, AGAIN?!

WOD:  Daniel

The blog post below was written in 2010. On my way to work this morning, I was thinking about THESE shoes. This is the only pair of running shoes I have ever thrown away. I will never, ever, EVER again throw away a pair of running shoes. I'm too attached.

 

it's time to say goodbye

A 1,000 miles ago, I bought a pair of shoes..... and now it's time to buy a new pair. This pair of running shoes is like no other pair I've ever had. They have been with me through countless "I can't do this" runs, nervous and built up anxiety pre-race activities and finally numerous finish lines. I never thought it would be so hard to let go of the shoes. I have put it off long enough and the emotional attachment is almost ridiculous. My new shoes will be here today. They will train and debut in October.
REST in peace...thanks for a great run!

Career History:
Run for the Cure 5k (new PR), Capital City half, Race for the Cure 5k, Brittany's Race 5k, Strawberry Festival 10k, Outer Limits Tri, WPAFB half.

holidays around the corner and competition in 3 weeks....WHAT?!

WOD: 6 Rounds- Partner
           :30 sec on :30 sec off
           Burpee Box Jump Overs
           Russian KB Swings
           DBall Slams

Run:   1 mile cool down

One week until Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping almost done and another Crossfit competition in 3 weeks. Holy smokes, that came out of no where. I am in no shape to be doing another competition. Oh well, it's just for fun, right?!

I'm getting back into a slump. My food plans are becoming a routine, which is getting boring. I need to refocus and stay disciplined.  I have increased my running which means my appetite has increased but it also means I'm in a much better mood and am happy with myself.

The weekend was lazy. Sunday was my day of rest after 6 days on. I did a mile walk on an incline and some hang clean work. I am now also the official practice partner for Connor learning his new wrestling drills. I can do a single leg take down, double leg take down, I can get you on your back from the top position, I can get out of the bottom position, half Nelson and a pin. I am not a fan of wrestling. All of Connor's 58 pounds hurts. I can't believe people think this sport is fun.

I'm looking forward to a great week full of healthy decisions!!!

This is the free Saturday community WOD! What a great turn out.

This is me doing Russian KB Swings. It was early on in the workout. Katie (my comp partner) photo bombed!

WOD: 3 min AMRAP
            7 box jumps
            7 Dball slams
            3 min AMRAP
            7 thrusters
            7 back squat

Run: 1 mile sprint
Strength: 1 rep max front squat

A man died yesterday at McDonald's. He just finished his Big Mac and had to use the restroom. Died in the restroom from a massive heart attack. I don't think that the one meal was his invitation to death, however, over time this could have been a direct result.

Why do we continue to eat the foods that aren't good for us? Why do people teach us everything is okay in moderation? Moderation, diet, exercise, health history, family history and so on.

Regardless of what lead this man to his death, his family is left behind to pick up the pieces. His young daughter will be left with the memory of being with her father in his last moments of life. His family will have to move forward without him.

In the moment, I can justify eating anything. I can tell you how many miles I will need to burn off that Oreo or how long I will row for that handful of jelly beans. But, it all adds up. At what cost do we continue eating it?!

cleansing your spirit

WOD: 3 min AMRAP
            30 DU, 5 C&J 95#, 10 Burpees
            1 min rest
            2 min AMRAP
            5 C&J, 10 Burpees
            1 min rest
            1 min AMRAP
            Max Burpees

Run: 2 mile sprint

Sometimes it is so hard to forget the past and move on. We can't control the past but we do control today and right now. Letting go of pain, anger and hurt can be difficult. There are people in our past that don't deserve the room in our present. Don't use any more energy on that. Focus on what is important now. Focus on the people in your life today that make you a better person. Strengthen those relationships and let go of the ones that are dragging you down. Make time and spend time with those that do the same for you. xoxo

There's no such thing as a bad day.

Strength: 5x5 OHS
Run: 3 miles

If you wake up in the morning and your feet can hit the floor without any type of assistance and you are healthy and breathing, you are already having a great day. If you have a roof over your head and heat in your house, you are having a great day. We control our life. We control our mood. And ironically enough, our mood can determine the mood of those around us.

A day can be filled with crappy choices, but it doesn't ruin the day. Pick yourself back up and keep going. There's more than once choice in a day. Make the next one count!

If you have the "why" you can tolerate the "how"

WOD:  14  min cap
             3 Rounds:
            10 OHS
            50 DU
             then
            3 Rounds:
           10 Burpees
           50 DU

Strength: 1 RM Squat Clean

Run: 1 mile before WOD

I have been listening to the Jillian Michaels pod casts. I'm not a HUGE fan, but it does pass the 40 minute commute to and from work. Jillian isn't a fan of Crossfit and she hates running. So, off the bat, we don't have much in common. I do admire her methods of coaching and how she can be an inspiration to so many. I don't buy into fitness videos and thankfully she doesn't really try to push those during her pod casts.

I do remember a few things she says. I really like her thoughts. Today, I heard her say "If you  have the WHY, you can tolerate the HOW. I hit the rewind icon and replayed the message so I made sure to write it down exactly the way she said it. Once I got to the stop sign, I texted it to myself.

I get to work and yesterday was a food celebration. Nothing says, "Thank you, Veterans" like cake, chips, cookies, cookies, cookies and soda. When there is a food day, the next day typically turns into another food day with all of the leftover food.

This makes me mad. I have no idea why, it just does. What and how much food others consume is none of my business. I can't control them. I am on the other side of the wall, so I hear all of the comments:

"Ohhh, how many Weight Watcher points is this" 
"I know I shouldn't..."
"Of course, I forgot my lunch."
      

 In my head I'm responding:
"If you have to ask out loud when NOBODY cares about points, you should walk away."
"Then don't."
"Go buy your lunch. You'll be glad you did."

Here's a thought: if everyone quit eating the food, I bet people would stop bringing it in.

{I feel better now.}

So, here's to another food day. One that I have successfully ignored. A day when my HOW is way more important than the cake.

WOD: Karabell Partner
            3 Rounds:
            50 Wall Balls
            10 Snatches
            Then, 100 ft OH Walking Lunge

Strength: EMOTM 10
                2 Power Cleans

& Because I don't listen: 3.5 mile run

I have a love hate relationship with restaurants. There are a select few I will choose to eat at if it is necessary. I hate the menu options (mostly because they don't fit my criteria for what I think is healthy and balanced) but I love the convenience. I hate that when I substitute and order half of what it comes with, I still get charged full price. I love that it provides me time to catch up with my husband or my friends.

I had this argument with my dad a few weeks ago. Well, it really wasn't an argument. It was me bitching and him just listening. {Sidenote: I bitch at my dad because I love him. He's the man that drinks pop instead of water. He's the man that is addicted to sugar and is too set in his ways to want to make a difference.} I made the comment that he was going out to eat every night. His response was that he gets a salad. Okay....I challenge him or anyone else. Go to a restaurant and find a salad under 500 calories. Calories aren't the issue. But salads aren't being made with balanced portions of fat, protein, and carbs. Congratulations, you might have found that salad. You probably had to design it yourself and ask for all substitutions or you just purchased a $15 salad and are eating lettuce, bacon, eggs and oil and vinegar. Now, you are my dad. You wake up in the morning and drink a chocolate instant breakfast and have had coca-cola all day. Tell me you are going to make that food choice. Tell me you aren't getting the blue cheese, french dressing, and croutons. If you can find those salad options or any meal option, I'd love to hear what works for you. Share away! PS- I'm talking about every day food options, not the meals that you go out when you are not strictly following your meal plans.

So, I went to this conference last week. As usual, I get all ticked off at the meal options. Then, the more ticked off I get, the more I start scanning the crowd to see if anything else is annoyed. For our lunch, we were given a "tailgate" party. I was okay with this option because I thought that would include hamburgers. I can handle a couple patties to get through the day. No, these were cold cuts. Not the end of the world. Only one meal, I made it work.

Below is a picture of a snack bar that I found at Kroger's. I'm not a fan of the Zone Bars (sugar) but Nick lives on them. This is a great option for balanced nutrition for kids.  The Fiber One bars have too much fiber for their little tummies. They love these! (Right now they are on sale.)

Happy Veteran's Day

WOD: Karabell- Teams of 2
            50 Wall Balls
            10 Snatches

I had a blog idea but it will have to wait until tomorrow. It doesn't seem right to celebrate our veteran's by talking about my issues with restaurants.

I honor of today, I want to celebrate my husband! This is a picture taken the first time he went away for training (6 months, to be exact). I will never forget it. It was the first time I paid a bill. I had three kids (1, 3, 7) a puppy, full time job and a house. I could have written a book about the things I learned in those 6 months.

Times are tough. Life sometimes sucks. But nothing makes me prouder than seeing my husband in his uniform doing what he loves the most.

Thank you, to all veteran's today and every day!

6 days a little late

Strength: EMOTM 2 squat cleans 15 min 

                 

My iPad sucks for writing a blog so this will be short and sweet. I was put of town last week. I did find the hotel fitness center and was able to make shift a crossfit wod. Unfortunately, that didn't stop me from eating cheesecake two nights in a row!  I did so well at breakfast and and lunch but by dinner time I was a living like it was my last supper! 

I ended up running 12.5 miles last week and I had a nice PR on my squat clean.

I'm adding running back into my routine. I was crazy to think that I was or am going to see results without it. I'm breaking the rules and doing what makes me feel good about myself. So, my goal will be to start out slow and shoot for 15 miles a week. I will slowly increase the miles as I go. I might end up running more now that the boys have wrestling.

I'm ready to start the week. Weekends are nice and relaxing but it provides too May distractions from my routine.  

talent is the desire to want to do greater

WOD: Cindy

At what point do you accept where you are and what you are capable of doing and forget about the things that you have no desire to want to learn? Even if learning that skill means moving to the next level?

When do you realize that what you are doing isn't what you enjoy and revert back to things that are fun, relaxing, NOT out of your comfort area?

Are you a failure? Less committed? Or wiser because you have the knowledge and know the difference?

Where's the balance?

to hell with the hills

WOD: 5.5 mile run

You know by now that I do enjoy running. I was excited when Jeff (my brother) wanted to go run. It's a nice opportunity to visit with him and without the distraction of 6 kids. We don't get to visit often so I welcomed the run....okay, I welcomed the run until the first hill. Then there was a second hill, third, fourth, fifth and sixth. I finally said, "I think we are going further than 4 miles." and Jeff's response was, "yeah this was poor planning"-- my shoulders were killing me from the workout on Friday and now my quads were on fire disciplining me from my lack of running the past month. The company was worth it and the scenery was amazing.

WOD: 50-40-30-20-10 DUs
            25-20-5-10-5 Dips
              5-4-3-2-1 Squat Snatch

I went to visit my brother in Kansas over the weekend. He is fairly new to Crossfit and this WOD was a burner! We had fun and it was a nice change of scenery.

Eating while on the road can be somewhat challenging. And even more challenging when you arrive at your destination and you eat what is available to you. I'm sure my dad has heard enough from me about the candy and pop that he constantly consumes. We had BBQ on Friday night and I was able to scrape together enough leftovers for a breakfast combo.

 

I wish I could tell you that the rest of the weekend went as well as it started off with the same meal options and choices.... 

          

unloading the unnecessary

WOD: 5 min AMRAP
           5 Hang Power Clean
          10 T2B

          EMOTM 10 min
           1 Squat Clean
           2 Split Jerks

Thanks to a friend, I have discovered the Jillian Michael's podcast. Yesterday's podcast was about freeing yourself up. She was referencing material items like sports cars and wrist watches. But this made me think about how one could unload all of the negative thoughts and how freeing that would be in your mind.

So much of my typical day is spent being so hard on myself. I have such unrealistic goals, unattainable goals and expectations for myself that it's always a sense of failure. And when I hit that plateau weeks can feel like months and months can feel like eternity.

So what do I let go of?
1. Negative friends (And they can feel free to let go of me, too. I could be the negative one!)
2. Scale
3. Tempting snacks
4. Clothes that don't fit right and I know but insist trying them on
5. Unrealistic goals
6. Unrealistic expectations
7. Triple booking of events hoping that I can be all three places and make everybody happy
8. Clean bedrooms and bathrooms :)

If these things didn't matter, a burden would be uplifted off of my mind. I'm going to make a list and keep it by my computer so I can be reminded of this.

What can be added to enhance the quality of my day?
1. Time to relax, even if it is just 15 minutes
2. Work towards small and attainable goals
3. Seek out individuals who are positive
4. Hug my kids more often!

my main sqeeze

This year, Nick and I are celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary. He's an amazing guy. Looking back over the last 10 years we have survived living 4 states apart for 2 years, raising three children (not finished yet) and deployments that have totaled living apart for over 3 years. If you have never witnessed Nick and I together, you wouldn't know how much alike we are. Opposites don't always attract. And when they don't, you get one loud and vocal couple. That's us!

There aren't too many people I try to please, but this guy is one of them. I have heard compliments about how Nick coaches. He's a good coach. He is patient, hands on, and takes his time explaining the technique. Recently, his doctor referred some athletes to Nick to help train.

Nick knows his stuff but this is where he is different. I can be screaming in his face. Telling him to shut up, get lost, I can't do it, that's stupid, whatever it may be. He just stands there. He waits until I'm done yelling, and he picks up right where he left of.

He cheers for me because he knows I have the strength, and before he watches me fail.
He puts his bar down and watch my lift in the middle of a set.
He constantly goes over every move over and over and over again to help me understand.
He sees my strengths when I only see my failures.

My favorite gym memory with Nick was when I dead lifted last December. He was standing beside me and he couldn't believe I had pulled up the weight. I could see his face to the left side. He was so excited.

Recently, I did well in a workout. When I woke up the next morning, I had a text message from him. It just said, you did Fran in 5:50.

We all need a cheerleader. We all need that extra burst of confidence. We all need someone to believe.

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue what counts." - Winston Churchill

WOD: Skill: butterfly pull ups
           Strength: Power Cleans & Snatch



While I didn't get a new PR last night, my failure came in my food choices. I wouldn't even call it a choice. I basically ate anything that was in sight and didn't stop until I forced myself to go to bed.

Failure at something doesn't make me a failure. I woke up bright and early and hit the treadmill allowing myself little time to come up with an excuse why I couldn't get out of bed.  I'm not afraid or discouraged by one bad day. I can have a better day tomorrow. 

This weekend I'll be in KS. I get to try out a new Crossfit gym with my brother. I'm looking forward to this!

 

WOD: teams of 2
            100 Dball slams
            100 warrior burpees
            100 Dball sit ups

If you have never experienced the satisfaction of eating maple almond butter, you need to try this! I only buy the small packets because I would eat the entire container. Delicious!

However, this is not on my plan. Tonight I was really hungry. I was craving something sweet and sugar is my addiction.

My current meal plan has me right at about 1300 calories for two days and then the next two days it will probably be close to 700. YIKES! Stay away from me tomorrow and Wednesday. This will be going on for the next 2 1/2 weeks.

Tonight, I missed my friends at my old gym. There's something to be said about the Crossfit family. I sometimes miss Vince screaming at me like a drill sergeant or Stephanie jumping up and down during the last 10 seconds and Darren asking how the week is going. I spent 7 days a week there most weeks. Now I need to find the drive to get myself off the couch and work on lifts at home on closed gym days.

My goal this week is to max out on C&J. FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS!

WOD: Teams of 2
            2, 4, 6, 8...
            5 minutes at each station: Burpees, Superman, Sit Ups

Saturday night was the Halloween party at the gym. This gathering reminded me why I never go anywhere solo. Even for an extreme extrovert, being the third wheel is horrible. Here is the group picture that was taken of all the people that didn't come with a date/spouse:

Alone and Awesome.

The best part about the party? There was a ton to eat that was paelo or close enough to paleo that I didn't regret eating anything. Felt good to walk away from the other food because I was full. AND, I tried brussel sprouts for the first time. Not going to lie, it tasted kinda like dirt sprinkled with oil.

This week I am going to work on some lifts. I had two PRs on Friday which has now motivated me to start checking some things off my goal sheet! Boo ya!

the ugly truth about clean eating

WOD: 15min AMRAP
             3 Man Makers
             6 Pistols
             9 Barrel Roll Burpees

If you are here reading the blog for my recent updates, it's about to get real. If you have stumbled across my blog for the first time, I'm sorry this is the first thing you are learning about me.

About 45 days ago (rough estimation), I started my journey through clean eating with a little help. Okay, a lot of help. The only thing I do is practice a lot of self control and follow the directions. Simple enough. There have been days here and there that my control was weak, my mind was stronger than my will and I just gave in. Wedding cake, for instance. Gets me every time. Why? Because I know I can only have one piece and I know it isn't around all of the time. On a typical "cheat" day, I'm eating strict paleo just not following my plan. So, even the worst days aren't always that bad. 

Every article I read goes on and on about the benefits of eating clean. Performance at the gym, more energy, better complexion, etc. Nobody ever warns you what will happen to your bowels. So please consider this to be a public service announcement that will better prepare you for your journey:

Eating clean will make you constipated, then you will have stomach cramps that feel like a baby is growing in your belly, then you will have diarrhea, more diarrhea, and more diarrhea just when you think you don't have anything left in your body followed by being constipated. The cycle continues. You never know when it will hit, IF you even have a bathroom close enough, or if it's a false alarm.

You may ask yourself, "Why is she so open to talking about this?" Well, my friends, I have to be so open talking about this because these problems have caused me to be late to work, quit in the middle of a WOD, almost pass out on my way home from work (from holding it in), run out of a meeting, miss a choir concert and barge in the restroom while the custodian was still cleaning. People start to wonder what is going on. I have to make a joke out of it.

When this, we'll call it an "attack" happens, I get two responses:
1. "Are you sure this diet (yes, I said diet) is working?" or
2. "Yup, we understand."

Response #1 comes from the person who has no idea what I'm trying to accomplish and response #2 comes from the person who has been where I am.

So, after about 15 days of this shenanigans, I decided that I would build up enough courage to tell Josh. Thinking maybe the fat or something would be tweaked accordingly. I've only known him for 45 days. I started typing an email to him but couldn't really think of the right words. How does one translate into general terms, "If I don't change something, diapers are in my near future." I made it sound like I just had extreme bathroom behaviors that weren't normal. (haha, this sounds ridiculous even reading it now)

So, the short of all of this is, I need to cut out the coffee in the afternoon and stick to my vegetables as given on the plan. As for cheat days, I'll almost guarantee 99% of the time, non paleo won't exist. The benefits by far outweigh the output/outcome.

WOD: 15 min AMRAP
           3 Man Makers
           6 Pistols
           9 Barrel Roll Burpees



This is a video of me doing Fran in 2010. I didn't have a full squat, the weight on the bar was 45#, and I had a band for my pull ups. On December 25, 2012, I did Fran RX'd and it took me 10:15. I am happy to report that I did Fran again yesterday RX'd in 5:50!!!!!!!!

Josh said to focus on gym performance and not the scale. He was right. No number on the scale feels as good as a PR at the bar.

I have to give Nick credit. I did exactly what he told me to do throughout the entire workout. I focused and listed.

WOD: Fran

I have been blessed with the ability to eat just about anything (minus onions and sauerkraut) in its simplest form. I have never needed salt or butter on my food. Within the last 3 years, I have quit using spices and herbs. I can cook any piece of meat or vegetable and eat it plain.

It's getting easier to eat to fuel my body without thinking about the taste. There are times I force the tablespoons of oil down or plug my noise to eat the fish because it's my 15th day eating salmon, but for the most part, I don't crave certain foods. It is still always a challenge to resist if the food is in sight or to clear my mind from trying to tell myself I have to have that piece of chocolate.

I am starting a new food plan tonight (going on day 31 with Josh) and so last night I treated myself to a creation of what I "thought" would cover everything I needed to eat.

1 cup Squash
2 slices of bacon
2 T guac
2 oz chicken
1 T coconut oil
2 eggs

Fat: 35g
Net Carbs: 7g
Protein: 33g

PointsPlus: 13

pa·tience /ˈpāSHəns/

Getting caught up in THE RESULTS AREN'T SHOWING RIGHT NOW mentality today, I turned to Josh to express my "concern" or my complaining, whatever you want to call it.

It was a weak moment, yes. I told him I was going to bash in my scale, eat less to remind myself that I'm in control, take pictures like he told me to do in the beginning, and a few other things that if I typed again would confirm just how crazy I really am about this.

His response?   
"  Everyone feels trapped. You're lucky to know what the issue is, it's easier to fix that way.

Focus on getting stronger and faster. Chase performance in the gym, eat what your told, simple isn't easy but it works. "

Putting head into hands and resting on my desk. Don't mistake my frustration for giving up. I'm not there yet.

WOD: Partner
            30 seconds on/ 30 seconds off- 5 min
            KB Swings (44#) 1 pt
            Push Ups 3 pts
            DU 1 pt
            Box Jumps (24") 5 pt

The key to a great partner workout is having a GREAT partner. I pushed myself. On top of being sore from the day before, I didn't want to let her down. I think it was my best workout of the week!

I was watching Biggest Loser on DVR over the weekend. The first episode was all about second chances. Hum, sounds familiar. But something that Jillian said stuck with me. I heard it once, went back and listed to it again, and then wrote it down. She said,

"If you don't have that 'why', every single day will feel like a punishment. Once you have the why, you will succeed."

This is probably why I am stuck in a slump right now. I am missing the why. I am not working towards a goal. I don't even have a goal. That is next on my list of things to do this week: goals. I will post them here and keep them updated.
 

opting out of Thanksgiving

WOD: 3 rounds for time
            14 chest to bar
             7 snatches

*If I counted every time I fell on my butt, I probably did an entire extra round of snatches. But Ken did tell me, if I'm falling down, that means I'm getting under the bar. I guess I am making some progress.

This afternoon we invited some friends over to watch football. I decided that I was going to make this yummy paleo pizza. Well, I never cook. I usually will make something if it has less than four ingredients. The pizza had 2 steps and required kneading the dough, cooking it ahead of time, cutting up food, blah blah blah. By the time the pizza was actually finished I was so hungry I could have eaten the entire thing by myself. AND, I was tired. I just don't get how people can find cooking fun. Thank goodness my family is used to boring bland food.

The pizza and bacon wraps turned out to be delicious! Everyones favorite football team won and the beer was cold. Success!

Early night.

Strength?

WOD: Run 800m
            21-15-9
            Burpee, Box Jumps, Pull Ups

So, a few days ago I was pumped for this next competition. I think it's going to be fun and totally relaxed doing it with a friend. So, I'm talking to my friend about the competition and the conversation is:

D: So, I can probably do about 20 hand stand push ups, butterfly pull ups and don't worry, I will do all the pistols. What do you think will be your strength?
Me: ummmmmm..........

What is my strength? What is the one skill or the one lift that I can do really well? I have NO idea. (insert lack of self confidence here). I can do everything "ok" but nothing "great" so here we are back at square one.... scared out of my mind about a competition I probably have no business being a part of. Why do I do this to myself!?!?! Gesh.

Then, I go to the gym and Rick says, "Jenn, I tried 300 again and didn't get it." Talking about the video I posted a couple weeks ago. He was still determined to get it next time.

So, I guess putting this into perspective, I will keep doing the best I can. I will find my "strength" in something determined to keep trying.

Skill work: Snatch
                   HSPUs

Practice makes perfect, right? I spent 90 minutes yesterday doing light snatch work. I need to probably spend that much time every week practicing that movement. Plus, I had a really hot trainer working with me. He knows a thing of two about snatches.

Meal plan: I'm starving. My calorie intake is barely 1200 calories and I'm consuming less than 17g or carbs a day. How can I even stay awake?!

Today, I have three mini Twix bars in my hand and I put them away. Who ever thought that would happen?!

Keep on keepin on, I suppose!

WOD: w/ a partner:
           100 hollow rocks- choppers- dball slams
              75 sit ups- 1 armed kb snatch- wall balls
              50 goblet squats- t2b- dball cleans
                * props to my partner, Katie. She pushed me. I'm feeling it today!

I started my new 10 day meal plan Sunday. Yesterday was the first full day. I'm not sure what is going on but my stomach is killing me. I didn't have bacon the last 10 days so maybe it's just in shock from the grease. Who knows. I'm also still really hungry. I went from forcing food down to now being hungry after each meal. I'll give it two more days before I claim something needs to change. I've also gained weight. I keep telling myself that I'm in the "bulking" phase!

Speaking of weight. This has been on my mind since Saturday. I say a lot of things in a day and walk away from a conversation thinking, "Did I say the right thing?" or "I hope it wasn't taken the wrong way..." or "Why didn't I just shut my mouth."  Most of my feelings stem from my urge to feel the need to talk, constantly, but never to intentionally hurt someone.

Recently, I heard a conversation between two ladies. It was in a group setting with probably 6 other ladies around the circle listening. Someone complimented her on how great she looked. Instead of the "thank you" (like we all sometimes fail to say), it turned into a conversation about how she has gained some weight back and it would be okay if she were ### and as long as she stays under that ###, it will be okay. A few people laughed and a few people agreed. Instantly, I looked around the circle at the group of ladies listening. Every single of one those women were beautiful, not out of shape, and certainly not overweight. I know for a fact that half of the women worked out on a regular basis. Now, I'm not an expert on guessing the scale, but I am almost certain that maybe only one of those women was under the weight that this gal was going on and on about as her goal.  How does that make others feel? (Maybe like, "WTF! I work out 6 days a week, sweat my ass off, eat right and I'm 20 pounds from that number.") Does she start to reevaluate her body composition? what society thinks? More importantly, what her friends may think? I rolled my eyes and didn't say a word.

Why do we focus on the scale? Why do we constantly set ourselves up for disappointment? How do we change that behavior? I'm just as guilty... But sometimes hearing it out of other people makes me realize how ugly my mind can be and how shallow my thoughts can be spoken.

I wear my CF socks to work. I always like to be prepared. You never know when I'll have to climb a rope or deadlift something ;)

gone too long

Man, oh man! I have been away from the blog for a few days. Which also means, I have been away from the gym for a LONG time! There's no excuse, but I did have a great trip over the weekend visiting with lots of friends and I was moving around and on my feet for most of Friday and Saturday. So...

I heard back from Josh about my next 10 days of food. I have a few more vegetables added in (carrots, kale, squash, zucchini), less coconut oil and a little less meat. I hope this does the trick. I'm getting antsy about results.

Last night I portioned out all of my food for the week. I made little 1 ounce burgers so I will know exactly how many I have to eat for breakfast and dinner. Less thinking during the week is usually a good thing.

Excited to go to the gym tonight and even more excited that football is almost over and my routine can get back to semi normal.

minus the bud light ;)

I've done it again.

Yes, we were running here. Not crossfitting.
We can only pray that there will be running
in the competition!

WOD: 100 squats
             75 sit ups
             50 burpees
              1 C&J EMOTM
            15 min cap

Strength: push press

I have signed up for another CF competition. This was will be different. Kinda. First, my partner is awesome. Dianne and I were originally going to partner with our husbands and have a male/female team. Of course, that would be sold out. So we went with the next best option: female/female team! We will get the WODs the Wednesday before the competition so I guess we can come up with a stragetgy to determine our strengths and areas for improvement.  The upside to this is I will continue to push myself at the gym knowing that this is around the corner.

This weekend I will need to exercise massive control. I will be at Heidelberg for a reunion and with all of my friends. I will go armed with my coconut oil and almonds and pray that everything works!

It's the freakin weekend baby......

WOD: 21-18-15-12-9-6-3
            Deadlifts
            DB slams

In my moment of weakness, you are going to hear me complain....

I have finished my 10 days worth of meals. I'm still eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 10 days in a row and then I email Josh and we make changes. Well, I'm on day 13 of eating the same thing anxiously awaiting an email in my inbox from Josh. I'm like a young child at Christmas. I can't wait for it to arrive. I will send a gentle reminder this afternoon.

I'm eating my lunch right now. I have resorted to eating with my fingers as utensils are hard to come by in my office and the thought of having to cut all of the meat takes away from my Internet browsing time. So I sit here ripping apart pork chops with my teeth while holding it in my bare hands. Attractive, right?

I am results driven with little to no patience. I'm functioning off of little sleep (7 hours for me is not enough), sick of the food I'm eating, and I want something to change NOW. Make no mistake, I'm not giving up. I'd just like there to be a sign of change. I've been committed. SOMETHING needs to happen. If the scale isn't going to move, I'd better be shooting for some 15# PRs.

I know I'm just at a low point. Instead of being Debbie Downer, I think about what I would tell my best friend if she said this exact same thing to me? Keep your head up and keep moving. SO, that's just what I'm going to do!

Good news. Did you hear that PaleOMG! and Civilized Caveman are coming together for a cookbook?! Delish! I can't wait.

the pants that USED to fit like a glove

WOD: "Falkel"
             25 min AMRAP
             8 HSPU
             8 Box Jump 24"
             1 rope climb

How ironic that I'm doing hand stand push ups the day after I am on here bragging about doing one! I'm happy to report that I did the hspu's, but I used 1 mat. I think on the 40th one, I figured that I needed to get my head through the window because I felt like my neck was no longer attached to my back. A little stiff this morning, no doubt.

I know I'm not the only one out there attached to a piece of clothing...am I? I once did a tribute on my blog about my running shoes. I wish I would have never donated them. Okay, that sounded selfish. I miss those shoes so much. I am a stress binge cleaner. I throw away just about everything if it is in my way or creates clutter in my house/life. I have managed to save this one pair of pants. Who knows why. I originally bought the black pants with a suit from The Limited in 2003. I remember the mall, who was with me, the smell, and even the weather. I bought the pants for my grad school interviews. These pants are magical. I wore them in college, I wore then 3 weeks post baby (tight), I wore them on my WW glory days and I'm still wearing them today. They are wide leg so they fit my thighs very comfortably. I put them on and I feel like a million bucks! Today is going to be a great day!