crossfit

Everyone Needs a LIL Sunshine


Thank Goodness the SUN has broken through the rainy muck. Yes we need it but I welcome the sunshine anyday as I am a delicate flower that flourishes in the sunshine! Hahahah. You believe that? I didn’t think so, but it sounded really good!

So even though traffic was drizzly and icky, I made it to work without going crazy or ramming into any moron drivers. The sun also decided to peek it’s little head out. And even though my drive in to work was crapola, I was in a very good mood. Got me some rest yesterday and got a great WOD in this morning!

1/26/12

Sumo Dead Lift 5 RM was on the menu for Skill/Strength. I’ve never attempted this lift although it’s not entirely different than a normal Dead Lift it is awkward at first. I was feeling pretty strong at first and quickly faded away. My hip didn’t give me problems today but my hamstring sure did get a little testy. I managed to lift 175lbs but only once 😦 SO my 5 RM for Sumo DLs is 165. I really wanted to get 175 but a big ol’ fail. My 1 RM for DL is 185 so I don’t think I should feel so bad for myself but I that’s how I’m wired.

The MetCon was just one of those that you gotta knock out. No stopping, just GO. And I went. I slowed down a lot on Burpees during the 6 reps but I tried to pick it back up for the 4’s and 2s. I was pressing 20lbs which was light at first but it most assuredly felt much heavier by the end. Time: 6:32.

My favorite phrases 3.2.1. GO and TIME! LOL I think I like TIME more than 321 because TIME means I’m done!

As usual I practiced kipping and my joke of a pullup post WOD and I’m a fraction closer to getting it done! I know I’ll get it but it’s so darn irritating that I don’t have it yet!

NO yummy dinner creation last night and most likely not tonight either. Last night we went out for my NOW 9 year old son’s birthday! My baby of 3 boys and no longer a baby. He chose Outback for his dinner and we happily obliged!

Another short and sweet post for today. I rambled on a bit much yesterday so I felt a less wordy Thursday was more ideal.

Have a great Thursday, I hope y’all are feeling as great as I feel now which is pretty darn GOOD! Drink some Kool-Aid – it’s good stuff!

Rain, Sleep, and Realizing I’m Addicted to the Kool-Aid

Texas NEEDs rain, hell everywhere does but I wish (a petty wish) we could have the rain stop for rush hour traffic times. It really drains me! I don’t get the privilege to work from home and I have a 72 mile round trip commute. So YES I get to complain and rant about how I wish the rain would stop so I could get to and from work without so much trouble! Flooded roads, dumb drivers and other insanity drives me bonkers. Other than that I got no beef with the rain. I sleep really well when it’s storming or even drizzling, it’s like my brain/body get something from the sound of rain. Who knows why, but it’s nice.

As for dinner last night. Nothing super special, some grass fed ground beef tacos with guac and MEXICAN RICE! LOL, not really, but Cauliflower Spanish Rice! I learned how to make Asian Fried Rice and figured I could wing it in the Spanish department since I’m Mexican. I know most people I know still don’t believe I am because I don’t speak Spanish or whatever. I’m American but I come from Mexican roots 🙂

Tacos with Cauliflower Spanish Rice

Soooo moving on… I threw some cauliflower in the food processor and chopped it up till “rice” like. I added a little olive oil to a preheated pan and tossed in the cauliflower with some garlic and sauteed for a minute or two. I seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper (i like spice). I then poured some salsa in (probably a cup, maybe more) and stirred it all up. Let it cook on medium for a couple of minutes. I then reduced temp to low/simmer and covered. I left simmering while I cooked ground beef and prepped taco toppings. There wasn’t a real science or perfect recipe. I just played around. I used to make it very similar when I ate Minute Rice! It’s the easy quick way to make Spanish Rice. It turned out a LIL TOO Spicy for the family. Edible but I should omit the cayenne pepper next time around! I really enjoyed it and even though it was spicy, kids asked for more. I think it was Ernie that was most affected by the spice. Hehe, next time I will lay off the HEAT.

Today was a much needed REST DAY! Mentally I’ve been stressed with the world around me and I’ve been pushing it hard at the box so it was good to sleep a little later than normal. My body thanks me! In my rest though I do realize how much I LOVE the KOOL-AID. I realize I named my blog in reference to drinking the CrossFit KOOL-AID but truly I LOVE IT. I’m addicted if you will. I don’t think I could be addicted to Step Class, Spin Class, Body Pump or Whatever other “class” is out there in the fitness world. BUT I can honestly say I look forward to my next workout, sometimes wishing I could fit in more WODs, but I don’t think physically I’m ready for such insanity.

I Want to Be Like Camille When I Grow UP! Seriously!

 

I think I adore CrossFit so much not only because it’s OVERALL fitness but it sets a bar daily for me personally. I have to do things I’ve never done before, I have to compete against myself for time/reps/rounds. I also mentally compete with others on the white board. I want to be the one who posts the best time and if I can’t then I want to try and meet the level of fitness of those names I see on the board who KILL it daily. It’s hard for me to express myself because there’s so much I want to say about it. I feel GREAT after every WOD. I’m ready to take on the day in all aspects.

Again All Shapes, Sizes and Fitness Levels

I see the COMMUNITY that evolves around CrossFit. I have yet to meet an elitist attitude or a debbie downer personality. Everyone wants to better themselves no matter what stage of fitness they are in. I have seen all shapes and sizes: super fit athletes, pregnant women, overweight folks, young, old, physically challenged… you name it and I’m pretty sure there’s someone in that category that CrossFits. Everyone has a goal to eat better, live better and be strong. It’s been a while since I’ve stepped on a scale to SEE where I’m at… my whole attitude and thought process that is EMBLAZONED in women’s brains to be a certain size has dissipated from my from thinking. I just want to be strong.

This a before and after - 1 year after CrossFit

82 years young, Jean nails a new deadlift 1RM PR at 153 lbs

I want to lift that bar and set a PR (Personal Record). I feel good. I realize my body has faults but I no longer hold them over my head. I’ve moved on. And no I’m not going to become a veiny, muscle head. Yes there are women out there who want that, I surely don’t and that takes a lot of “extra work” to get there. Lifting heavy doesn’t make me a freak of nature. It just makes me strong. I still have pregnancy damage to my stomach, I may never have a washboard for ABS again, I still have stretch marks, I still have jiggly spots but I know I’m leaner and more physically fit than I have been in a long time. And I am impressed daily by the CrossFit Community. I read the stories of success and failure. I am INSPIRED daily. I even registered on the CrossFit Games website for the OPEN! I may not make it past the first WOD but I signed up anyways. I’m not a firebreather and may not be one anytime soon but that’s how AMPED up I am on this sport! I get goosebumps when I see the Reebok CrossFit Commercial on primetime networks. I anxiously await my coach to post the next WOD. I look for the next competition I can attend or compete in. It’s an insane addiction I know. But it’s something everyone can do no matter where you are in life. It gives you the support system that will steer you in the direction of good health, strength, confidence, inspiration and so much more. I don’t get paid to say these things it’s just how I feel. Like I said it’s hard for me to explain because there is ALOT I want to say. And I just don’t know how to express it in a super great way. Just how my brain allows me to at this moment in time.

Strong Women!

Women All Shapes and Sizes

With all that said… it’s a great feeling to be strong. Happy RAINY Wednesday! Hopefully I don’t need a boat to get home later. Thanks for reading my “crazy”, unorganized thought process.

Not sure where this originates from... I believe CrossFit Ramstein but now sure.

It’s a “I SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME” Kinda Day

That’s right. I would have been better off at home, taking a nap, cleaning house, catching up on dvr or reading a book. But I did not. I’m a little late in the day for posting but I kept on trucking and hopefully it’s just a glitch on the radar and the rest of the week will be fine! Pray! Keep your fingers crossed! And Pray some more!

01/24/12 WOD

The day started off alright. I got up like always and headed to the BOOM! Box. It sure is great to get the blood pumping and the muscles working hard. Today was no exception. I did feel weak on my Clean and Jerks but I managed to push through. I think my whole self was still spent from yesterday’s WOD.

Next up: Double Unders! Ya. I actually like double unders but I was not looking forward to the Hand Release Push Ups that were penalty when you mess up! I can string around 30 DUs sometimes and mostly just 10-15 regularly. So I knew I was in for a beating. And of course the more beat I became the more frustrating DUs became and I turned into a HOT MESS! I even got to 199 and messed up. Really? I was officially just exhausted! And I had to pump out 5 more HR Push Ups! Argh! Finally I get a finish of 12:02! Yeehaw. I didn’t keep count of pushups because I couldn’t get keep count of both DUs and push ups but I feel I did anywhere between 70 and 100, LOL!

Nothing new on the food front. Or nothing exciting I should say. I messed around with some bacon and spinach, seeing how that would turn out and it came out fine. I failed to take pics of course due to the fact I was in a hurry but I do have some sweets on the horizon that are Paleo-ish. The plan is to make some goodies for the boys’ classmates for Valentine’s Day and I figure along the lines of Paleo is better than flat out badness. I also have a few recipes that have kept my attention. Now it’s all a matter of taking the time to make them 🙂 Baby steps. I will get there!

That’s it for Tuesday! Still anxiously awaiting for Ford Escape Routes to call Ernie and I up and tell us we are on the show! Boy that would be great. I know we would kill it if we don’t kill each other first! Hahaha! Hoping again the week gets better for sure. Have a good one y’all!

 

 

 

 

WHOLLY COW what a WHIRLWIND weekend!

This past weekend was full of intensity, adventure and super exhaustion. Ernie and I headed out to Austin this past weekend because we had signed up to be volunteers at The Fittest Games. A good sized event for soon to be CrossFit Games Competitors and those testing their level of awesomeness against other firebreathers. Arrival time for volunteers was 6:00 a.m. and we worked non stop till about noon. It was so much fun to be there. The “YARD” as it was named was LEGIT. It was in this cool unfinished warehouse which is in development stages but raw and dirty and super badass. It’s a future home to a CrossFit as well. There were four Pads where WODs were being held throughout the day and the BEST of the BEST were out there putting all of their insane blood, sweat and tears on the concrete floors.

First Team WODs @ pad 1 (1RM clean and jerk and Max front squats)

Pad 2 - Women killing Muscle Ups

From CrossFit Tyler – I HEART NINJAs by the way!

I had a fun job by marking up the athletes with their assigned Number. We got to laugh, joke and have a good time. Even scored a cool shirt! I then had a job as scorerunner. It is what it is – take the scores to the computer peoples so they can enter everything. I got up-close behind the “scenes” viewing and met some cool people. The athletes competing were BEAST at all things. I was inspired, overwhelmed and excited all at the same time. I sooooo want to be at that level but then I think that’s soooooo far away and then I think I’ve only been doing this a few months and I didn’t come in awesome as it is so I have a ways to go but it’s doable. I THINK! I HOPE!

As we finished our assignments we were going to stick around but we opted for going out for lunch and then realized we were exhausted so we’d head out to my aunts house for rest. We did have a comedy show to attend later that evening and didn’t want to be miserable. As we were headed back I recalled a blog or someone on FB mentioning a paleo burger in Austin. Thank GOODNESS for google because it pulled up WHOLLY COW BURGERS! We u-turned as fast as we could and headed straight there.

We found it! Love smart phones. Makes life so much easier 🙂

A convenience store with a burger place or was it a burger place with a convenience store? Who knows. I needed to see the Paleo Burger on the Menu… because this wasn’t special order where they look at us weird for asking for no buns or mayo or whatever restaurants think when we order NO GRAINS. And there is it was the Fit Cross (Crossfit Paleo Burger). It’s not the holy grail of burgers I know this, but it’ going in the right direction. Local Grass Fed beef cooked up just right, slapped between portabella mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, onions, natural ketchup and mustard. It was yummy. Especially when you’re out of towners, this was a good find. We ordered one burger each to “check” it out. WIN! So we ordered two more and added sweet potato fries after we inquired if they had them. Perfect! It filled us up and we knew it was good local homegrown grass fed beef. We talked to the owner and peeps that worked there and found out that not all grass fed beef is created equal. Ranchers are allowed to grain feed the last 120 days before slaughter and are still able to claim their beef to be “grass-fed”! I had no idea! That’s how little research I’ve done. I’m saddened by the news but also now informed. So it’s an overall win.

In their convenience store - organic produce also available there.

Fit Cross Paleo Burger at Wholly Cow Burgers, Austin, TX

If you’re in Austin, then definitely check this place out. They do have a website and FB page but not a lot of content. So with that said just CHECK THEM OUT at some point.

I’m finally to today and our WOD this morning. Sled Pulls are awkward and take some getting used to and left me a little out of breath but that’s OK what would CrossFit be if it were EASY?!?

1/23/12 WOD

Out MetCon just about killed me. Was it a case of the Mondays? Or was it just flat out loserness? Not sure at this point but it was close to killing me. Snatch DL is very weird feeling. Having to deadlift with a super wide grip definitely ups the ante in knocking reps out. The weight was light “for a deadlift” at 75lbs. And TABATA to boot. Although we only did half TABATA 4 rounds vs. 8 rounds, but that was fine with me because I was going to have to push press that 75 lbs. My max regular press is 65lbs but with the “PUSH” it’s easier to get a little more weight up. I didn’t do my first round of push press because I was so spent after the deadlifts. I think I managed to get 13 presses. SUCK! We moved onto Front Squats and again it took some energy to freakin just clean it. So I wasted almost the whole first round just trying to talk myself into getting the bar up. I finally did and I was beat. I really double sucked at front squats as well. Overall REPS at 61. I KNOW I could have done more, but I talked myself out of it before the MetCon even started. Not a wise thing to do and I don’t suggest punking out like I did. I am happy I did it”RX’d”. I’ve done a few but not a lot so it feel goods when I can MOVE the weight around. I was spent but it was a good spent.

I hope you all enjoy your Monday. Make it great. I’m hoping I kill my WOD tomorrow. And I hope you meet whatever goals you have for the week. Eat Clean. Train Dirty! LOVE IT!

I’m NO TRACK star but I’m feelin good!

It’s Friday Folks! Can I get a big WOOOOO?!? It’s been a super long week for some reason. But we made it, right?

Like I said yesterday, no meats to cook – Cause I’m a loser slacker forgetful person :/ So I decided on my way home I’d stop by Whole Foods and pick up some fresh items and cook for my Dad since he’s still on the mend. I had gathered up the few things I needed and got in line and low and behold… NO WALLET! I left it in my gym bag! Oh you can only imagine how irritated I became with myself. So I asked if I could write a check because I had my checkbook in my purse. SURE! So I write out the check and she waits for me to hand her my driver’s license. I looked at her and said I wrote down my DL number BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE MY WALLET that has my driver’s license in it along with my money! OH. Sorry I can’t take it then. WELL FREAKIN’ AWESOME, thanks lady! and I just walked away. Petty I know. Nothing to be frazzled over but for a good 15 minutes I let it get to me.

Moving on…. I ended up cooking my dad and kids some steaks he had out (not grassfed 😦 … heheh, I’ve spoiled myself), CANNED spinach (LOL cause he lives off canned veggies, I’m working on getting him transitioned to fresh) and some corn tortillas (he doesn’t quite get PALEO just yet). None the less he enjoyed his steak tacos as did the kids. And of course NO PICS! One day it will be second nature to photograph my stuff, I PROMISE!

1/20/12 WOD

Onto my WOD this morning… a RUNNING day 😦 Talk about fake it till you make it from yesterday! Skill strength was good. I got to really work on breaking down my Clean and Jerk and getting technique developed. So many darn things to remember. I really wish I had lifted previous to knowing what CrossFit was but I guess I wish I had been a gymnast too! Haha good thing about coming in with zero knowledge is that I can really gauge how far I’ve come. It’s great to watch my progress from pretty much nothing.

Our times. We took 3 minute rests in between and that is why the overall time is over 19 minutes.

And then the RUNNING. I did not want to run at all. 600 meters is far! Hahah, well not really but times 4 it is and I don’t like the running. I have not other choice but to suck it up and run. I did get 3 minute rests between which were wonderful and needed and I just re-iterate how much of a whiny baby I really am. I surprised myself with my times. My first run was 2:38. And what do ya know I got better with each run! 2:28, 2:34 and 2:25. Like the post title says I’m NO TRACK STAR at all but I know I used to not be able to run 400m in these times much less 600m. So YES I was feeling good! I’m getting faster and I’m not even trying 🙂 I know I’m trying in overall fitness but I am sure not trying in the running dept. Not intentionally. It’s amazing. Before you know it I’ll have a sub 8 min mile and I may learn to enjoy running….hahah well maybe I’ll get the sub 8 but I don’t think I’ll ever ENJOY running just to run.

It’s Friday y’all! And we have a busy weekend ahead. Ernie and I are volunteering at The Fittest Games down in Austin, TX. It’s the last in a trio of events that some local firebreathers have been competing at. An overall champion will be crowned so it should be a great event to attend. It’s also one of the final BIG events before the CrossFit Games Open. We were thinking it would be fun to watch in general and we figured if we volunteered it would be even better. Hopefully if I’m not too busy I’ll get some cool shots with my handy dandy iPhone and maybe a few stories to share as well. We will also hit up a comedy show tomorrow night because one of our favorite comedians Bill Burr is in town. What perfect timing! We get a nice little road trip, a CrossFit adventure and some good laughs all in the same day. I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend. It should be nice here in the state of Texas. I hope it’s nice everywhere else 🙂

Fake IT till YOU MAKE IT

I know we all have those days where you just want to stay in bed all day but you know you can’t. You gotta hit the pavement running regardless. Today is one of those days. My plate is full, there’s a LOT of stuff going on and mentally I’m just checked out.

Yesterday I skipped out on my post because my Dad had a heart procedure being done and I was out all day hanging in the hospital. Dad is good. All is well. I thought about blogging from my phone because I had a lot of down time but it just isn’t the same as banging away at the keyboard. A whole day off and I’m back! Aren’t y’all excited? NO? That’s what I thought.

So I’m already blah for the day but I gotta get up and get going to DO WORK at the BOOM BOX and I just am not feeling it. I slept fine, my body isn’t falling apart so I just had to FAKE it till I made it. And that’s what I did. And it worked out alright. Now if I can just get through the work day!

1/19/12

As you see the Skill/Strength wasn’t too bad. Ring Rows aren’t so much my enemy as other movements are but they do wear you out. I managed to do 16 of the 30 ring rows with my legs straight out. But I did break down and have to bend my knees to maintain full extension and what not. At least I’ve made some progress 🙂

The MetCon was a tiny but killer doozy of a workout. Burpees with Ground to Over Head using a 35lb plate. I thought it would take me longer and in reality it should have taken me less. I paused a couple of times as I wanted to just quit halfway through. Once I was committed I was hoping for sub 3 in time…. BARELY over 3 minutes. I should have never paused!!! There’s a lot of shoulda, coulda, woulda’s in my life lately. I gotta get that under control.

I almost forgot about holding a squat for time POST WOD and I sucked at it 😦 Although all day pain is gone my hip flexibility is still not super duper and it started burning about 30 seconds in but I managed to pull out over 2 minutes. I should be able to hold it forever but I can not. I am sorely disappointed in my lack of flexibility/tolerance, etc. I really do hope it’s just my hip that hinders me and not “my head” in general.

As far as foods go, I’ve been sticking to my standard meals. I had family in town to check in on my dad and I invited them over to my house for dinner. They all are unaware of Paleo and the whole lifestyle that we are throwing ourselves into but they are aware they need to step it up nutrition wise. I thought it’d be a perfect time to share with them how YUMMY the food can be and still be super good for you. I made them Paleo Meatloaf, Cauliflower Mash and Asparagus which I posted about the other day. They seemed and acted as if it were quite pleasant and I’m hoping they truly felt that way as well. Score 1 for spreading the good health to family members. Now I just have to get them the recipes so they can get to work 🙂

The night before I attempted to cook my first WHOLE chicken. I know I’m behind in the “cooking” game. Whole chickens… that’s nothing to most, but to me that’s WORK. I thought it would be so time consuming and complicated and I have no idea why. We always buy chicken breasts… organic, cage free, etc…. spendy! So this time we bought a whole chicken even ranked better than the chicken breasts in quality and it came out BEAUTIFUL in appearance and TASTE! I only took a before picture because I was so excited at how pretty it was when it was done that I forgot to take an AFTER pic. Plus the kids were ready to test it out as well! It was EXCELLENT and juicy and overall great 🙂

A little over 4lbs

Of course I had to google on how to cook it and Everyday Paleo was there to save me 🙂

I preheated the oven to 450°, Rinsed off chicken, patted it dry. Doused it with salt inside and out (could have scaled down on the dousing though) and then added a little white pepper. I only added pepper because I didn’t believe only salt would be sufficient. NOTHING ELSE! THAT’s IT! Throw it in a roasting pan, dish, whatever and bake it for an hour. Perfection! HOMERUN!

Chicken isn't so "pretty" but it tasted GREAT. Served up with some Sweet Potato Latkes and Steamed Brocolli

So that’s all she wrote today folks. I forgot to defrost meat AGAIN, so I don’t know what dinner will be but I’ll figure it out. Have a Happy Thursday. And I’ll be seein’ y’all tomorrow 🙂

Take That Tuesday!

1/17/12 WOD

Today feels like a rant and ramble kind of day. I kicked off my day with a kick my ass workout at the BOOM BOX. Holding Back Squats for 5 seconds at the bottom… SOMETHING I’ve NEVER done before and woowowowowow it was tough! But you practice full depth and learn to love it (kind of, sort of, maybe?), well love it enough you don’t want to come back up! I managed fairly well when I got my breathing down and stopped crowding my brain with thoughts of FAIL.

The MetCon looked fairly do-able, if that’s the right word. Maybe more along the lines of less intimidating than other days. Those are the moments when I should say there’s NO SUCH THING! But I don’t, I just think this won’t kill me. Sure enough it was freakin HARD. Broad Jumps?!?!? ARE YOU F’ING KIDDING ME? for 200 ft! Major SUCK in the world of workouts. I promise. I was gassed, dying, melting, etc. I only had 3 rounds, I was spent. WTH is wrong with me is all I kept thinking. Why can’t I kill this WOD? I tried with all my might and I finished and that’s all there is to it, RIGHT? YUP, I FINISHED. All is well and life goes on 🙂 9:54 was my time and only because Grant pushed me on my last 10 KB Snatches. Glad he was there cause I would have dropped the ball. I did my last 10 unbroken and finished under 10 minutes.

Even though mentally I was defeated, Physically I felt good which in turn works on my mental state and I was feeling good overall. I got out the door in good time, early even and in good spirits! UNTIL traffic HIT…. It’s like finally everyone is off vacation mode and back to work and it was chaotic on the road, stalled cars, accidents, major traffic delays. I was HOT! FUMING! Traffic can make my blood boil. But in that boiling state sitting still on the roads, like a bad driver I’m checking the interwebs and I find this post by FitBomb about a High School CrossFit Class and there in my anger I totally let it all go as I listened about Maddy and her journey with CrossFit and Cerebral Palsy. I’ve shared it here for you to watch.

It’s truly amazing what this young girl is accomplishing daily in general and to throw CrossFit in is even more amazing to me. I’m sure she would try anything but it seems like she’s found a good place for her. Just like with any of us. CrossFit isn’t everyone’s cup of tea or KOOLAID but if you find something that works for you then DO IT. FULL ON. NO EXCUSES! You aren’t going anywhere if you keep making up crap to avoid eating right, working out… Life in general! Ya know? You hear me?

Day in and day out I hear excuses. I hear the if’s the but’s the shoulda woulda coulda’s….. Sometimes life throws you curveballs, I know. I live life too. But you gotta press on!

Out of my 3 kids, my oldest is slowly but surely grasping where I’m trying to go with health and fitness. It’s clicking and it’s amazing that’s he’s learning so young. My other two just go with the flow. If my mom “says” then cool, we dig it. But now in the past week they have been asking the why’s and what’s and opening their little brains up. I don’t just brainwash them in case you are wondering. I explain to them what I thought was right, what I’m learning now and how I feel about it all. They have a long way to make up their own minds but hopefully they see the POSITIVE impacts that eating clean and taking care of our bodies helps us all around. And well of course they eat what’s put in front of them 😛 And they do it well. So I don’t have problems when it comes to eating.

All in all, the rant and ramble and disconnected paragraph to paragraph is just another day of me wanting all of you that I know and don’t know that it’s possible to get your life in order. It’s possible to live a happy healthy life. I have my ups and downs too. I don’t want to cook dinner some nights. I don’t want to wake up from my cozy bed. I don’t want to be in traffic. But I am grateful that I do. I’m happy my family is HEALTHY and WHOLE. Not everyone can say that. We are truly blessed. And I’ll be darned that my kiddos make it through all the CRUD that goes around school (with the exception of the occasional stomach bug). I truly believe it’s because they are outside playing in the SUNSHINE and eating a variety of good foods. Same with Ernie and I… we aren’t calling in sick and feeling like poo… we are good. It’s a good life.

So TAKE THAT TUESDAY! I got this! Hahaha… until tomorrow or the next day. 😀

1000+ Views!

I finally made it to 1000 views…plus some! It’s a good feeling. I watch the stats like a psychotic person. I don’t know why I’m so addicted to seeing how many people have viewed this blog. I know there are blogs that get more than that in one day and well I’m just not there so I will take my stats and embrace them! LOL, I don’t know that I’ll ever be “cool” enough to get that many views a day :/

1/16/12 WOD

Had a good WOD today. Short, sweet and tough! We worked on Front Squats and my 1 RM was 115. I was really hoping I could get more but not today.
And for the MetCon… box jumps and straight legged sit ups… 30 seconds for each movement for 5 rounds. The first round was good and I slacked on the second round for some reason. Grant reminded us this was a sprint workout so I got on it and started moving… now wishing I didn’t slack on my 2nd round. But I did so I just had to push the rest of the way through. 120 reps total. Not bad but I know I could have had a few more reps.

WHEAT BELLY - WILLIAM DAVIS, MD

You all know I strive for Paleo and push to eat as clean as possible and discourage grains. I follow several blogs and what not that are Paleo and advise against grains including the Wheat Belly Blog but I had yet to read the actual book. This weekend we bought it and I tore through it. It’s not a long read so that was nice but there was a lot of information on what Wheat does to us. I feel assured that wheat and gluten are the enemy to everyone not just to those with celiac or other gluten intolerances. I don’t want to give you a book report because I think it’s important for you to read and soak it up for yourself. But if you are wishy washy on the issue or don’t even have a clue, then I highly recommend reading it. And at least try giving up all GRAINS, not just wheat, for 30 days. See if it changes you. You will go through a withdrawl of sorts, at least you probably will, it may last 2 days and it may last up to a week or 2 but you should just TRY. And don’t replace your GRAINS with junk… just eat more meats, veggies and fruits. If you don’t feel great and more awesome than ever then go back to your gluten filled ways. It won’t bother me one bit 🙂 Let me know if you do it or plan on doing it. Let me know if you need support or have questions. It’s tough mentally to remove the grains but in reality it’s not that hard if you’re willing to make the change.

I know that after reading the information in the book I am good without the “yummy” things that are made with wheat. Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD! Buy it! It’s good.

Happy Monday, MLK day, etc. Enjoy your day whether you have the day off or have to work it like I do… make it a happy day 🙂

Death by Power Clean on Friday the 13th!

1/13/12 WOD

It was a dreadful sight on the board but it had to be done! Grant asked us what we were thinking in regards to how far we’ll get and I just couldn’t manage a number in my head but eventually I blurted out 12. Then after I did blurt it out I mentally changed it to 13 since it’s the 13th. And to try and push past my initial blurted out goal. Getting up to the 10th round I was still feeling pretty good. Tired but good. Then the 11th round hit and dang I was zapped of all energies and I made the major mistake of dropping the bar. Boy was that the wrong thing to do! I made it through 12 rounds and got to 8 reps on the 13th attempt but Major Fail. I lost strength fast. But at 70lbs not too bad I suppose.

For those of you that don’t know what DEATH BY (Insert any movement) means I’ll explain it a little bit. You take the movement, it could be sprints, deadlifts, pushups and in our instance POWER CLEANS and do 1 for every minute that passes and add reps to match the minute. So in the first minute you do 1. Rest till minute 2 starts and then you do 2. Rest till minute 3 and do 3 reps. You do this until you can not complete the number of reps that correspond to the minute you are on. So I made it to 13 minutes but didn’t complete the 13 therefore I only count that I completed 12. Make sense? I hope so. It’s tough. You think this is easy – I GOT THIS, until you’re on your 50th rep overall and you want to DIE! Hahah, fortunately we don’t die and we push past our limits. It always feels so good to be done and to know I have done something. I am strong!

I really don’t want to talk about SNATCH BALANCE cause we are truly not friends. But I’ll say my peace and move on. Snatch is a movement that takes a lot of thought but I’m the kind of person that just needs to “DO” and not think because I’m an overthinker (legit word? eh I don’t care). So you give me a movement where you are forced to think of all the form it takes and all the little things that go into it and my brain can’t HANDLE it! I suck at SNATCH. I do not like it, it’s not a natural movement, and other people make it look so easy. Just DROP under the bar. THAT’s IT…. SIMPLE. Not for me and guess what? I made it a goal to not fear it. What a stupid stupid goal to make! I hope this year I can actually overcome it but I’m not feeling it at all. Maybe it’s just the crappy week I’ve had that brings me to despise it so much. I’m pushing my feelings all into this one lift. Sorry Snatch. One day we’ll be friends, I promise!

I am so freakin glad it’s Friday! The past couple of days have driven me bonkers! I know it’s all meaningless in the scope of life but I’m ready for change! I think subconsciously and consciously…. the impending anniversary of my mom’s death has shaken me. Last year I was pacing up and down hospital hallways with no answers. Hoping, Praying and CRYING my eyeballs out. Lost and confused. Argh, I’m still doing all of those things but for different reasons and I can’t move forward. I’m sure I can move forward but I feel stuck. I NEED CHANGE! Can I get a reset button? a reboot? a do-over? Anything? I know it has to come from within but it’d sure be nice if someone would just throw opportunity into my lap. And it would be nice if I had the foresight to know it was the opportunity that would change my life! I’m afraid that I’ve had to many things cross my path that I’ve never taken advantage of because my mind and whole self was closed to change. But NOW I want–desire CHANGE… REAL CHANGE and I feel like I’m stuck in a boat with one oar. Going in circles.

I know I’m rambling and I realize I say that I’m rambling often and always apologizing for doing it! But it’s what I do. One of my friends made a point to me that this was my therapy and it really is in a way. It’s good to get it out there even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone but me. Maybe you can relate, maybe you can’t. I’m not a super blogger with deep thoughts on politics, environment, world change… etc. I’m just an average citizen, mom, human with a computer. I’m not changing the world one post at a time. But hopefully regardless of my craziness someone is getting encouraged to keep on truckin!

Happy Friday the 13th! TRIVIA NOTE… all months that start on a Sunday will have a Friday the 13th… my 12 year old told me that. Have a good weekend 🙂

New Workout Schedule means – NO REST THURSDAY!

I had become a little bit of a slacker on Thursdays and I had no REAL reason to be one I just got lazy over the month of December. But with my new CrossFit Schedule I’m OFFICIALLY on a new course.

1/12/12 WOD

This morning’s WOD was a nice little chipper. I felt pretty good the whole way through until I got to the burpees. They got to me for some reason today! I got super hot super quick and couldn’t shed the layers fast enough. Once I regrouped I knocked them right out. And reluctantly went to the sled pull… 30yds, not that far but I’m just not good at this yet. It’s awkward and it’s cold outside… I’m whiny too! Get over it people! Hahaha, yes I do realize I get a little cry babyish…sometimes ALOT cry babyish but I wouldn’t be me any other way. I finished in 8:36… Things to work on: PISTOLS (I suck at those) and PULLING SLEDs!

Like I stated yesterday, dinner would be OUT not IN so no new recipes. I won’t always try out a new recipe either I suppose but I want to at least once a week. Sometimes I may choose to be a little more ambitious 🙂 It’s been brought to my attention by Ernie and others that maybe I should consider creating some sort of Paleo catering/mealplan and in theory it sounds like a good idea but I don’t consider myself a CHEF by any means. I like to cook. I like making something yummy but I’m just a regular ol’ person. I’m pretty clueless most of the time.

So is it an idea I should really try to process or is it a wishful thinking dream maybe turn reality in the future? I don’t know. Do y’all think there’s a market out there for such? I know people do it already. It’s not new or unique but how successful/fruitful can it be? I can’t afford timewise to do it for fun and I can’t afford to do it full time if it doesn’t pay the bills… so much to think about. Chime in if you feel the need. Sponsor me maybe! Hahah, I wish. Any comments for or against the idea are welcome.

Moving on… I did have a little extra chicken on Tuesday so I cooked it up, minced it up, added chopped mushrooms, finely chopped walnuts, jalepenos (roasted and fresh), onion to make a little filling for some lettuce wraps. I like to buy the butter lettuce where it’s still attached to the root. They are giant pieces, sometimes a little flimsy but mostly durable enough. I sent some with Ernie to lunch and he kindly snapped a shot for me. I brought the same thing but I left my tomato and avocado at home so it wasn’t as pretty. Just another quick idea if you’re in a rush. It doesn’t take long to cook a small amount of chicken and sautee up whatever else and slap it in a piece of lettuce to have a quick snack or meal.  NOTE: it’s best to mince, shred chicken while fresh cooked and warm. You may know that but I thought I’d share anyways.

Easy Breezy Chicken Wrap in Butter Lettuce

So that’s it for Thursday. Back to being active. It feels good. Feels like I was productive. I KNOW I KNOW before y’all tell me, I need rest too. I do get rest. I know when to hold back. My body tells me, I promise 🙂

Enjoy your day. Try to find a ray of sunshine if your day is bad and if your day is going good then just soak it all in! WOW I’m a cheeseball! Aren’t I?