Happy Birthday, Michelle!

40 Burpee Buy in

 My 5:30am & 6:30am O.Henry and 8am Barton Hills Athletic Training classes took on Michelle's 40th Birthday WOD today, and it was a doozie. Michelle is a dear friend of mine and has been in Relentless Training for close to 3 years. My goal is to be in shape just like her by the time I turn 40, which is closer than I realize--> 9 years to go!

40th Birthday WOD
Buy-in: 40 burpees

O.Henry class took off from the school and ran up the hill on 12th St. to Meriden and back.
Barton Hills class ran up Wilke and back.
1 round-
40 American/Russian swings (alternating back & forth)
40 thrusters
40 dips
40 frog jumps
Finish with the same run from above.

The workout took anywhere from 23-28 minutes. I was very proud of all my athletes today! I have some brand new gals who just joined from our 6-Week Boot Camp and they did awesome. You are never too out of shape or too fast to get in a Relentless workout. We meet you right where you are and push it to the limit.

Email me at meganparsons@crossfitcentral.com to try one of my classes complimentary.

Pesto

Pesto

My personal training client, Melodee, is a whizz in the kitchen. She can whip up the most amazing different dishes with only a few small ingredients. The key is her fresh herbs from her garden. After summer is over I will plant an herb garden in my backyard. One of the best things about training Melodee at her house in the backyard is the smell of fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano all around us. I whipped up something similar to what she calls Garlic Paste.

Ingredients:
~12 garlic cloves
Fresh spinach
Olives
Basil

Olive oil
Add lemon juice if the pesto is too spicy from the garlic

Directions: Add garlic cloves to food processor and chop until the cloves are almost mush. Slowly pour in olive oil while mixing. Do not pour the olive oil too fast or the paste will turn into a runny mess. I also added fresh spinach, olives, and basil to the food processor. Add ingredients until you reach the consistency desired.

I added my Pesto to fresh tomato and basil seasoned with sea salt and pepper. It's also great with any source of protein. Think of the pesto as your "fat" with a meal. Enjoy!

Respect for our fire fighters

Fight for Air this year was the best one yet. I was greeted Saturday morning by the fabulous, Lina, and she was just the person I needed to see when I walked up to Frost Bank. My drive to the race was a bit emotional. Reflecting on the death of my Poppie only 2 months ago and the recent lung cancer diagnosis of my Mima made this event hit very close to home. Life is short and you never know when today is the last time you will see someone you dearly love. A few tears later and I was ready to go.

I suited up in full on fire gear--- boots, pants, jacket, and a 30lb tank. All together everything weighed an additional 55lbs. I voted to not wear the helmet. The biggest difference with the fire gear on was the heat. WOW. It was hot. I have a new found respect for firemen. I was only wearing the gear and not carrying a water hose or a person over my shoulder and running into a burning building---that's next level. Richard, Jeff, and Larry who train with Coach Travis at RedBlack Gym were great! They helped me get suited up and hooked me up with the gear.

I finished the race in 8:02. Only 3:30 slower than last year but with completely different elements. I was super pleased with my time and received a ton of high fives when I finished.  Check out pictures from the race on Saturday HERE.

Gratitude List

I started a Gratitude List about 2 weeks ago. I've had numerous people tell me how impactful this simple daily habit is on their lives. Coach Carey Kepler told me about the Gratitude List a good 2 years ago; I read about it in the The Power of Positive Thinking, and then on a Monday night when watching the final episode of Lifeclass with Oprah, Tony Robbins, and Deepak Chopra something clicked. I was sitting on the couch and chose immediately to start a daily Gratitude List.

In a few short weeks this list has opened my eyes to so many things. The goal is to write 5 things you are grateful for each day. On the 1st day I could not stop writing. I wrote well over 10. The irony behind the journal I am recording my Gratitude List is completely entertaining. The journal is one I've had since I moved to Austin in September 2006. I went back and read excerpts from when I first moved to Austin. I could not stop laughing at what I was reading. Friends, my job, boys, life--- all of it now is so ridiculous and I immediately wrote at that moment that I was grateful for how much I've grown and am learning daily about myself. That is one reason why I think journals are so powerful-- reflection and celebration. When I go back and read excerpts from the past it is affirmation that I am on the right track and moving one step closer to my dreams each day.

Today I am grateful for...

• the freedom to be able to do my computer work and meet with Adam outside on Whole Foods patio
•  my 1st day back to my track workouts in over 2 months with my new track buddy, tinyFIT
• all the donations I have received for Fight for Air in less than 24 hours
• a peace that surpasses all understanding
• my roommates

I challenge you to start a Gratitude List today, especially if you are someone who thinks their life is absolutely miserable and you are in the pits of despair. You will be amazed at what you will come up with daily. There may be a day where you are simply grateful for the breath you can breathe. Start somewhere. Post in the comments sections what you are grateful for today. Let's do this together.

Climbing in a Fire Suit

This Saturday I am racing up the Frost Bank tower for the 3rd year in a row for the Fight for Air Climb. The past 2 years I have done really well and actually won the entire race for the female division. On Saturday,  I am kicking it up a notch and racing up the tower in fire gear! The Austin Fire Department has generously offered to donate pants, coat, and boots for me to wear. This still will not fully mimic the actual fire fighters since I will not be wearing a tank; however, Saturday will be an entirely new experience. Bring on the lactic acid.

Each year I compete in this race I am more enrolled in the process. As many of you know, my Poppie passed away with cancer 2 months ago, and now my Mima has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The climb on Saturday is for them. I am climbing in honor of my grandparents and the fight against ALL cancer.

Help me reach my goal of $300 by this Friday by donating HERE. I promise to represent the CrossFit Central & Relentless community well on Saturday morning. The next goal is to meet a firemen that looks like one of the guys pictured above =)

Meal prepping at its Best!

I am going to take a moment and brag on my 5K Race partner, Michelle. Check out the amazing breakfast and extra food she made for the week on Tuesday morning after her 6:30am Athletic Training class at O.Henry. That is some divine food prepping at it's finest. I vote for Michelle to open her own trailer and share the yumminess of healthy food with all of Austin. Votes???!!!

 Turkey Scramble:  Sauté green onions, zucchini, okra, spinach with fresh
herbs from the garden, coconut oil and a bit of roasted red pepper pesto
mixed with ground turkey and peppers.

 Salmon cakes: Caramelize fennel then shred zucchini …mixed those together with green onions, (from the garden) capers, spices, fresh herbs, a bit of mayo and mustard, an egg and
some flaxseed meal to make it bind …and 1 can of wild salmon…. Voila!
Sautéed with coconut oil, paprika and cayenne!

And then the treat...chocolate chip cookies, made w/ almond flour,
grapeseed oil, agave, baking  soda, vanilla, salt and toasted almonds and
unsweetened coconut.

6 Week Clean-Eating Ladder

If you have stepped foot in a Relentless class, there is no doubt you've heard your coach discuss nutrition. As much as we want to believe that if we workout we can look exactly how we want, this is rarely true for most. My 8am Tu/Th Athletic Training class at Barton Hills is coming together to support each other on their nutrition goals. Below is the plan I mapped out for them to get started. It is a 6 week process and each week builds upon each other.

I know there are those few people who can jump in cold turkey and eat super clean and not think twice about it; however, for the ones of us who need structure and a step-by-step process to change our eating habits, I think balance and small changes over time lead to tremendous success. Knowledge about nutrition is great, but if you have no clue how to implement that knowledge you are spinning a vicious cycle.

1. Week 1: protein packed breakfast with veggies as carbs. No fruit at breakfast. Drink a minimum of 1 gallon of water daily.
2. Week 2: same as week 1 + protein packed mid-afternoon snack. No fruit at snack.
3. Week 3: same as week 1, week 2, + 3 salads per week at lunch or dinner. Salad includes lots of kale, spinach, olives, avocado, chicken/beef/fish, artichokes, mushrooms, olive oil & vinegar as dressing, etc. No fruit or cheese on salad.
4. Week 4: same as week 1, week 2, week 3 + max of 1 dessert a week
5. Week 5: same as week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4 + 3 dinners per week full of protein, vegetables, and healthy fats. No bread, pasta, rice,  or white potatoes at these 3 dinners.
6. Week 6: same as week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5 + 5 salads per week at lunch or dinner & 5 dinners per week full of protein, vegetables, and healthy fats. No bread, pasta, rice,  or white potatoes at these 5 dinners.
7. Week 7 and on: Maintenance. Apply the guidelines from week 6 and challenge yourself to go an entire 6 days of eating clean for all meals.

Feel free to jump in with my class and take on this 6-week journey. Share your successes in the comments section below. 3, 2, 1 GO. No excuses.