Teachers Rock!

My evening Relentless boot camp switched to 6:15pm on Mondays & Wednesdays at Little Stacy Park. Over half the class are teachers. Three of the ladies pictured above are in their 2nd week back to school. After a full day of repeated questions, teaching, lunch duty, study hall...these athletes/teachers still make time for an hour that is completely devoted to them. Do you schedule an hour "meeting" 3-4x/week for yourself? If not, I highly recommend you take a good look at your priorities.

After all, it's balance we're after. Work and Play. Water and Wine. Reaching and Resting. Loving and Letting Go. Freedom really isn't about a release from responsibilities; it's about the status of your heart in the midst of it all.”

New Boot Camps

You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone.- Percy Cerutty

September classes for Relentless Boot Camp kicks off on Monday, August 30th. I have made a few changes and additions to the current classes I coach. All my classes are on the brink of selling out due to friends bringing friends to class each week. The Tu/Th 6:30am Deep Eddy class (pic above) had 3 new people this week thanks to Leslie! The month of September we are focusing on improving squat mechanics and posterior chain flexibility. Details on the competition will be announced in class next week. Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and make lasting changes inside and out? Don't miss out!

NEW- M/W 6:15pm at Little Stacey Park
NEW- Tu/Th 8am at Barton Hills Elementary
Tu/Th 5:30am at Deep Eddy Park
Tu/Th 6:30am at Deep Eddy Park
MWF 8:30am at Lake Pointe

Email me at meganparsons@crossfitcentral.com to try out a class for FREE.

Salmon Patties

I made a quick trip to HEB today and bought a can of Honey Boy Pink Salmon. I saw the recipe on the back for salmon patties, and it brought me back to my childhood. My mom used to make us salmon patties all the time. I made a few edits to the ingredients to make it more paleo-friendly and whipped them up in about 15 minutes. Yumo!!! It was a nice change of pace for protein and fat consumption, and I have a ton of leftovers. Enjoy.

Salmon Patties

• 1 can (14.75oz) Pink Salmon
• ~1 cup of almond flour (used this in place of bread crumbs)
• chopped purple onion
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk (instead of regular milk)
• 2 eggs
• 1 TB lemon juice
• Sea salt, pepper, & dill weed

Drain salmon, reserving 2TB liquid. Combine all ingredients including the 2TB of liquid. Shape into patties. Pan-fry on both sides in coconut oil or olive oil until golden brown.

The Daily Things

Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. -Arthur Ashe

I got a new roommate about a month ago...my best friend, Whitney. The other day she was rummaging through a box in her room and came across the picture above of myself (left-side). She came in my room dying laughing and clearLLLLy I joined in after seeing the picture. WOW!

Whit and I became friends when I first moved to Austin in September 2007, and we joined CrossFit Central at the same time in June 2008. Here it is 2 years and 2 months later and I have kept off the 30+ lbs and 10% body fat I lost and still continue to see changes in my appearance. I posted this picture as proof that consistent hard work pays off. I see many individuals get caught up in quick fixes or only stay focused during an 8-week challenge. The moment there is not a coach on them 24/7 about working out and nutrition, individuals tend to fall short.

I share this with you as encouragement. Stay the course. Remember...no one gained weight over night. It takes time to lose weight and inches. The ultimate satisfaction is when you see the end result and all the strength, confidence, and beauty that comes along with it. Balance is key. Rid yourself of the all-or-nothing attitude. It is the baby steps day in and day out that lead to the ultimate goal.

I am here to help you continue the journey...

Active Weekend

This weekend has been a blast and it's not even over yet. Five of my Relentless athletes competed in the 2nd annual Women's Challenge on Saturday and did phenomenal. I was super impressed with how well they did in the 2nd WOD, especially since they never pick up a barbell in boot camp.

Then this morning Heather Reed, Karen Pierce, Emily Baker, and I volunteered at the Sweet & Twisted Tri. Heather and I were placed together to direct the runners and cheer them on during the last part of the run. Multiple ladies thanked us for the support and a hand full of them told us we were the best cheerleaders all day. I guess it pays off to have a showout personality =). Congratulations to everyone who competed! Each of you made my morning with your positive, encouraging attitude.

A big shout out to Davianne who participated in both the Women's Challenge and the Tri this weekend. She stopped and gave Heather and I a hug on her run. Love it!

The girl on the left is Emily in the 5:30am M/W Relentless Boot Camp at Deep Eddy Park. She's throwing up her Double Cs on the run!!!

What fun, active event did you do this weekend?

Purpose Statement

My 5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy Relentless boot campers

Less than 2 weeks ago Dave King spent 2 hours on a Friday afternoon with all the CrossFit Central coaches. In a matter of no time he was challenging us to take a good look at ourselves and define what is our purpose. I know my mantra for 2010 is walk by faith and not by sight; however, my purpose statement...this really got me thinking. Why do I get up every day and stay to the grind? Why do I keep on keeping on when the going gets tough? Why am I excited about what I do? Am I driven by own selfish desires, or does my ambitious nature move me from mediocre, to good, to great?

I wholeheartedly admit I tow a fine line between ambition vs. selfishness. It is so easy to intertwine the two and think you are simply trudging forward after your dreams. Over the past 8 months I have been so focused on my own goals and simply called it my ambitious nature. After a second look at myself I saw I was being selfish in specific areas of my life and not allowing the good things in life to take course.

Jeremy asked each of us coaches to write out our purpose statement. In my head I knew what my purpose was for my life but putting it on paper took everything to a whole new level. I challenge you to do the same.

My Purpose Statement:

Instilling in others to forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. To use fitness as a tool to empower men, women, & kids to reach any physical, emotional, financial goal they set their mind to. To be an approachable, real-life example to women who feel they are stuck. To be a woman who exemplifies fitness, happiness, hard work, & fun and understands where you are but believes even more in where you can go.

Mad Respect for Mom's!

I train Melodee 2x/week at her house. She is a mother of two young girls; hence, her hands are full all the time. After last week, I had a new found respect for her and all stay-at-home mom's. WOW! You all never get a break. It is a constant giving of yourself and putting your own desires to the side. The picture above is Melodee with her 2 daughters. In order to keep them entertained during a workout last Thursday, she pushed them in the stroller during her hill sprints. I have the utmost respect for her. She gets 1 hour, 2x/week to workout with me, and she still has her girls right around the entire time. No alone time. Still being a mom even in the midst of an intense workout.

I know for me, personally, my workout time is precious. I love having that time to do my thing, train hard, responsibilities put on hold, and just bust ass. Last week I realized how even more grateful I am for this chapter in my life. It is easy to get caught up in always wanting more, more, more and thinking I am supposed to be "there." I am thankful for where I am and where I am going all in perfect timing. A big hoLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLer to all the Mom's out there who sacrifice daily for their kids. You women amaze me!

Kayak Kraziness

Yesterday Coach Heather Reed and I went kayaking with the CrossFit Kids Summer Camp. We were with rambunctious boys for 2 hours. We ended the trip with a race to the dock. Heather and I came in a close 2nd but one of the campers won due to his fun "cut-us-off" tactics =).

The other day I read this paragraph and it really hit home...

It's easy to get caught up in ALL of the things you need to do to run a successful business. Always remember the reason you became a trainer in the first place. This business is about helping people- giving them the confidence and tools they need to make their lives better. We hold people accountable when they are not able to do that for themselves. I cannot think of a more important job!

Those 2 hours yesterday were precious to me. I am guilty of getting caught up in the Go-Go mentality 24/7 and only thinking of myself, what I need to get done each day, and only "my" clients. Yesterday I was reminded of one of the many reasons I became a coach at CrossFit Central. Less of me and more of others and life starts to make sense. I am blessed.

Mary Madness Workout

Mary is in the MWF 8:30am Lake Pointe Relentless Boot Camp. This month is her 3 year anniversary with CrossFit Central. Mary is one of the top athletes in class and gives it 100% every time she shows up. She is participating in the upcoming Hood to Coast race with other CrossFit Central clients and Coaches Lisa Thiel and Carey Kepler. She recently participated in the Trojan Challenge and has been a part of multiple Women's-Only events.

The picture above is of her and her 2 daughters on vacation in Costa Rica. During the summer her daughters come to class to workout with their mom. Now that is what I call one CrossFIT family.

Mary is also another client that I programmed a workout in her honor. Below are list of her favorite exercises devised into the Mary Madness Workout.

3 rounds- for being a client for 3 years
10/10 Woodchops
15 Cowboy squats
20 Seated KB shoulder press
3 sprints up hill at Lake Pointe- she is the fastest runner in class

Finish with 8 full rounds of Tabata-- hold quarter squat with quick med ball chest passes to the wall.

Remember the Good Days

Do you have days where you wish you could capture every single moment of that day so you can never forget how great your life is? I took a hike on the Greenbelt for the 1st time ever with my friend, ShowDea. We had so much fun! ClearLLLLy we did not end up at the watering hole as planned but enjoyed every moment of jumping over rocks, attempting to stay on the trail, tweeting to our friends our destination in case we came up missing, and savoring our 1L of water we each had for the 3 hour trek. The pics below tell a little story of my weekend...

(ShowDea...Can you find her?)

Me posing on rocks. This was quite a trip up the rocks even though you cannot tell from the angle.

Saturday night we found a sign with my last name. ClearLLLLy we had to take a pic.

I am blessed with some of the greatest friends and family! How lucky am I to have a group of people who I can trust, lean on their shoulder, have endless conversation about "visual stimulation," and SHOWOUT. When you have your rough days, take a step back and remember how blessed you are. As @RevRunWisdom tweeted today, All of my good days outweigh my bad. #wontcomplain

The Renu Workout

Renu is in my Tu/Th 5:30am Relentless boot camp at Deep Eddy Park. The picture above is the entire class posing after completing "The Renu" this morning. She is in the front with aqua Lulu shorts.

Since joining class a year ago, Renu has lost 2 pant sizes, 10lbs, and 7% body fat. She never misses a class, has referred friends to our Relentless programs, competed in the 1st Annual Relentless Adventure Challenge, and leads by example to her fellow doctors and nurses at the hospital. She continues to improve daily and shows up each morning ready to SHOWOUT. The workout below is in her honor.

The Renu Workout-
2 rounds- for losing 2 pant sizes
10 med ball pushups - for losing 10 lbs, and Renu has great arms and can do toe pushups now
7 frog jumps- for losing 7% body fat, and this exercise is her own worst enemy
10 swings- for losing 10lbs and she owns her very own kettlebell
7/7 wood chops- for losing 7% body fat
Run Deep Eddy ramp- She likes to run with groups and chase people.

Goal Journal

Gracie and Ella completed their 7th personal training session with me on Monday. After the workout they posed with their Goal Journals, where they keep track of weekly fitness and nutritional goals. In the past month they have eliminated cokes from their diet and are writing down every vegetable and fruit they eat daily, with 3 vegetables a day being their goal. They also are completing 30 pushups, 3x a week, on their own. I am enjoying every minute watching these girls get stronger, leaner, and more excited about fitness and nutrition with each session. Watch out 8th graders, these girls are on a mission!

Monday we finished off our workout with me zip lining in their backyard (see pic above). I have the best job ever. Just sayin. =)

Sweaty Saturday

"No one ever drowned in sweat."- Author Unknown

The UTB this past Saturday was a blast and a hot, sweaty one too. Veteran CrossFitters used sand bags for the workout and the new person used a 6lb medicine ball. The 1st pic above is me and Greg. He is a client at CrossFit Central RunTex and I coach his wife in the MWF 8:30am Lake Pointe Relentless boot camp. The 2nd pic are my girls, Jess & Lisa (aka: ShowDea). We could not resist flexing after the workout. These 3 athletes proved just that..."no ever drowned in sweat." What a great way to start a Saturday!!!

Paleo Women snacks

About a week ago on SICFIT an article was posted about Paleo Women snacks. I checked out the website and inquired about the products. Pictured above are the 4 1-oz samples they mailed to me. The snacks are all natural, wheat & gluten free. I just tried out the Cappuccino Crunch Granola this morning and it was delish. The next one I try will be with coconut milk poured on top.