Grass, Dirt, PUSHUP

This morning was the 1st UTB of 2009 and there was quite the turnout. CrossFit Central coaches led well over 100 individuals through a workout this morning. If you were in attendance, you know we were demanding excellence and perfection in every exercise. Regardless if you are participating in a UTB, Indoor class, boot camp, or Kettlebell class, strive to be the best you can be and push your limits every time.

WOD for UTB:
5 rounds--
10 med ball cleans
15 sumo DL HP with KB
15 pushups

Pushups are a great exercise. They require little room, no equipment, and simply your own body weight. I challenge everyone (including myself) to commit to perfecting their pushup. If you are on your knees then slowly but surely work up to your toes; if you are busting out pushups on your toes, then work on increasing your speed, changing hand positions, or seeing how many pushups you can do without breaking cadence.

However and most importantly, GET THAT CHEST TO THE GROUND. Get dirty. Check out this link to watch CrossFit's pushup standards: http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_PushupStandards.mov.

Day in and Day out

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." --Robert Collier

It was cold yesterday and this morning. Frigid. Literally freezing. However, there was no stopping the 6:30AM MWF and 5:30AM TTh Deep Eddy boot camps. I have only been working with these boot campers for 2 weeks, and I learned very quickly these athletes mean business. They get up every day and bust their ass regardless of the weather conditions, family drama, or life's obstacles. Ya'll are amazing!!! Keep up the hard work and dedication.

CrossFit Central is not only a great place to reach your physical goals, but it also provides a community of support. Come see us for a great workout this Saturday, January 31st, 8:30am - 9:30am Under the Bridge at Town Lake on the hike & Bike Trail.

What are you doing day in and day out to reach your goals?

Glowing Light

My partner in crime/CrossFitGoddess/BFF, better known as Whitney Frakes (picture above), sent me the quote below yesterday. I have read it before, but it was such a good reminder for me. So often it is easier to make excuses, settle for less, and simply be ok with being average and my thought to that is "NEXT." Do not be afraid to be Great. Brilliant. Amazing. Beautiful. Strong. Confident. The positive energy is contagious. Be a glowing light to someone today.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?"

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not in just some of us: it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others."

-Marianne Williamson

Barbara is a B$%@!%

The .com WOD today was Barbara which consists of the following:

5 rounds for time-
20 pullups
30 pushups
40 situps
50 squats
--rest 3 minutes between each round

OH MY SOUL! Barbara is a B$%@!%. It kicked my butt.

I was so close to simply going to the gym and doing the workout and using the assisted pullup machine for my pullups. In theory, this is not bad at all. However, I looked in my mirror to put my hair into ponytail and then looking straight back at me were my goals for 2009. One of my goals is to complete multiple unassisted kipping pullups by the end of February. Clearly in order for me to do this I must practice, practice, practice and the best way for me to do this is at the CrossFit Central gym where I can go hard and fast and not have other gym-goers chat with me, get in my way as I'm attempting to do pullups, etc. Needless to say I jumped in my car, drove to CFC, and did Barbara. Mark it down--I will be able to do 10-15 unassisted pullups by the end of February.

No excuses. Make it happen!!!

Don't Quit

This morning was the 1st workshop for the I Am CrossFit participants. There was such a huge turn out and it showed me how dedicated each of you are to become healthier and more fit. I know I am not working with any of you directly for the challenge, but I just wanted to say keep up the hard work and don't quit. 3 weeks down, 5 weeks left, and a life time of fitness! The poem below is always encouraging to me...

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must; but don't you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When we might have won had we stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow;
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Knowledge is Power

I'm eating breakfast this morning, watching the Today show, and then stunned/disgusted. Meredith was discussing how "One popular chain restaurant is in hot water after claims that the calories listed on its menus are grossly inaccurate." Check this out--Class Action Lawsuit Against Weight Watchers And Applebee's For False Nutritional Advertising.

All the more reason to buy your own groceries, cook creative meals at home, eat Zone/Paleo, and be an informed consumer when eating out. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How do you define Strength?

My brother, Tyler, (picture above) defines strength as the following, "strength is nothing more than how well you hide pain."

Webster dictionary defines strength as the following:
1: the quality or state of being strong
2: power to resist force : solidity , toughness;
3: power of resisting attack : impregnability
4 a: legal, logical, or moral force
b: a strong attribute or inherent asset
5 a: degree of potency of effect or of concentration strengths>
b: intensity of light, color, sound, or odor
c: vigor of expression
6: force as measured in numbers
7: one regarded as embodying or affording force or firmness : support strength>
8: maintenance of or a rising tendency in a price level : firmness of prices strength of the dollar>
9: basis —used in the phrase on the strength of

Naturally in CrossFit I define strength as Webster's #1 definition. My goal is to qualify and compete on CrossFit Central's Affiliate team for the CrossFit Games, so clearly I want to get stronger and increase my strength. However, strength takes on multiple meanings for me...

• Strength is telling my friends (showouts) I cannot go out tonight because I have to be focused and ready for a workout or meeting the next day
  
• Strength is getting up early every morning to coach/assist, encourage, motivate clients in boot camps at 5:30AM and 6:30AM
• Strength is believing in myself and knowing that I can do anything
• Strength is picking up a heavy-ass bar and doing a snatch that I never thought was possible
  
• Strength is saying "no" more times than "yes" to that unhealthy food because I want to get lean and strong
• Strength is putting my own desires to the side and being there for friends and family even when it presses my limits emotionally

My favorite definition of strength today is Shannon Hollsten's. She started CrossFit about 3 months ago. She is focused, determined, and driven. She is on mission to be SIC FIT. I am so proud of her!!!

Shannon's definition: Strength to me means being forced to order, stare at, and then cut the company mandated birthday cake that is accompanied by one of your favorite things in the whole wide world (ice cream)...and not even licking your fingers.

How do you define strength...

Freedom

"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom."-- Albert Einstein

Today was my 2nd day of assisting with CrossFit boot camps and Indoor classes. I am fired up. So much excitement, tenacity, and encouragement surrounds me. I want to send a big thank you out to Crystal and Jeremy. I can't wait to learn more and more from you guys each day.

The quote above was emailed to me from Top Achievement. It sums up my new life right now. I finally have the freedom and opportunity to pursue my passion-- Empowering others to live a healthy and fit lifestyle. The quote also goes hand in hand with today and the inauguration. Marvel today in the fact that we have the freedom to pursue any dreams and ambitions we desire.

MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid.

I am sure most have heard of the KISS philosophy. I agree, the Stupid part of the acronym could be left out, but let's be honest, KIS is not near as catchy as KISS. This year I am focusing more and more on keeping life simple. This philosophy is so easily applied to CrossFit. The workouts can be done anywhere-- at a park, bedroom floor, gym, parking lot, anywhere. Every morning I use the tiny space in front of my bed to work on my handstands and different exercises on my parallettes. My room is where I completed 1000s of burpees during the 100 Day Burpee Challenge. KISS.

Nutrition is honestly so simple too. We so often try to complicate the fuel needed for our body. We try to over analayze calories in, calories out; high-glycemic, low-glycemic; bad fat, good fat; good carbs, bad carbs. What it really comes down to is simply KISS.

Here are my suggestions:

• Walk the perimeter of the store. KISS.
• Eat lean meats and fish, add some seasoning. Yumo and KISS.
• Eat veggies. Try a different color of vegetable every time you visit the store. KISS.
• Eat nuts and throw some cinnamon on them. New taste and KISS.
• Add fruit to your favorite dish for a sweet/salty combo. KISS.

Decide to decide to make 2009 Simple. CrossFit Central is the perfect avenue to make it happen. Shoot me an email if you need a grocery-shopping buddy. I am here to KISS =)

6 month Journey

March 2007

March 2008

May 2008

December 2008

December 2008

December 31, 2008

The past 6 months have been an incredible journey. I started working out at CrossFit Central this summer (June 2008) to simply mix-it-up and try some thing new. I have always been a workout junkie so paying to join a class was a huge deal for me. I am not the type of person who needs inspiration or motivation to continue to workout to stay on track; I just needed a change (and Jess said I must try it). Growing up as a daughter of a football coach, you naturally gravitate to fitness and sports. I have always lifted weights, run, etc. My degree is in Exercise Physiology. I LOVE FITNESS! Here it is now over 6 months later and so much has changed.

Let me count the ways...
1) Lost 25lbs- never knew how much extra fluff I was actually carrying on my body
2) Comfortably wear a size 4 or smaller- skinny jeans fit me!
3) NEW CAREER- I am now on my way to working part-time as a coach with CFCentral and my goal is a full time coach; as well as working with Mark
4) New friends
5) I can do pull-ups- Only a few but I can actually do them
6) Kick some ass- I am strong and I got yo back =)
7) I made a set of parallettes
8) Faster- bring on those 400s and 800s
9) Stronger- I enjoy doing max lifts now and not afraid of throwing around heavy weight
10) Food is fuel- I've always eaten pretty nutritiously but now I understand the true meaning of Zone and Paleo
11) Dream bigger- CF pushes my mental toughness but in the end I believe I can do anything!

SHINE IN '09!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!