Blessing

(5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy class)

I am blessed to be around the most amazing clients daily.  They encourage me as much or even more than I encourage them. Life is a 2-way street. I challenge you to give more than you receive and watch what happens.

Below is a quote and email from Laura in my 5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy class. Life doesn't get much better than this.
_____________________________

"You have favor because God has marked you for his purpose and plans.  In

Him, we have a future, a hope, a positive expectation regarding our lives.

Just remember that we are blessed to be a blessing."

I love the part about "positive expectation" and "blessed to be a blessing"
and figured you would get it.


Thanks for all you do, I doubt you have any idea the true number and
significance of the lives you touch.

1/2 Marathon in the books

My very 1st half-marathon in the books. Woohooo!!! Coach Alex Janss posted a video on the Relentless Boot Camp fan page and asked-- Why do you run?  I specifically signed up for this race because one of my 6:30am Deep Eddy boot campers and dear friend, Michelle, is one of the head honchos for the event. After watching the marathon last year, I said I would do it and wanted to keep to my word. A year later, the event is sponsored by LIVESTRONG and my Poppie (grandpa) is battling cancer. The whole race took on a completely different meaning for me.

Around mile 9, the LIVESTRONG water stop was set up and quotes were written all along Cesar Chavez. I teared up in the middle of my run at this point. When I got up on Sunday morning, I was running in honor of my Poppie and his battle with cancer. I was running because God has blessed me with good health. I was running because I have the ability to run. I was running because I had never run that far of a distance in my entire life and wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.

After the race on Sunday, I am 100% more connected to the endurance community in Austin and relate to the triathletes, marathoners, and half-marathoners in the CrossFit Central family in a completely different capacity. I now have 3 athletes from my Trojan Challenge team signing up for the 1/2 next year (one of them this being their very 1st one), and my little sister inspired to run a 5K in April. I believe even more how well CrossFit and Relentless Boot Camps prepares athletes for these races without overuse injuries.

4 days a week training at RedBlack Gym, 1x per week track workouts, and about 4 long runs with Michelle (longest 8.5 miles besides the Tough Mudder), and I finished the race in 1hr 59mins.  I'll battle with someone who says CrossFitters can't run distance.

The last 3 miles were brutal, but I did it. Thank you to everyone who cheered for me along the way! The support was beyond appreciated. On to the next one...

Becky's Birthday WOD

Becky has been a Relentless Boot Camper for over 3 years. She is one of the top athletes in the 5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy class. It has been a joy getting to know her over the past year and watch her kick some serious butt before her day even starts with a full house of 5 kids and a husband. Now that is what I call a Relentless spirit.

Becky's Birthday WOD
10 rounds-
4 burpess
3 cone suicide

• 10- She was born on January 10th.
• 4 & 3- Chosen for the rep schemes because it was her 43rd birthday. Metabolic movements were selected because Becky is one of the fastest athletes I coach in all my classes.

Who's birthday is next on the Birthday workouts?

Beet Treats

Laura in the 5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy class is the Chef of Creativity. Check out the recipe below. She brought me a treat to class last week and it was amazing. The original name was Beet Brownie, but the 2 words together freaked me out so we switched it too Laura's Funky Beet Treats =). Enjoy!

BEET TREATS:

1/2 cup roasted pureed beets
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup ground cacao (not cocoa)
4 TB Butter melted  (also substitute with Ghee)2 eggs
1/3 cup raw sugar (Laura used Truvia actually)
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
2 TB flax seeds, ground
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup walnuts chopped (Laura used pecans)
 

Dump all the ingredients above accept the chopped walnuts in the mixer, mix, then fold the walnuts in at the end. Pour into 12 muffin tins with muffin liners and bake at about 375 degrees for approx 30 min (until knife inserted in middle came out clean). Good luck!

Listen Up

1 year ago

2010 UT vs. OU weekend --I can't believe I have the Longhorn sign on my blog =)

Every month CrossFit Central coaches schedule body comps for their clients. This is a perk for anyone who workouts with CrossFit Central. We perform body comps every 3 months; HOWEVER, that is only if you have earned a follow-up body comp by food logging and working out consistently.

I often see clients (especially females) get frustrated when they do not see major changes in 3 months. Jenifer is a prime example. The 1st 3 months was a slight change in body composition, the next 3 months was even more of a change, and now 9 months in she is really seeing the fruits of her labor. From the get go her and I discussed how the body will transform in 3, 6, 9 month cycles as long as she was consistent.

Jenifer is in the Tu/Th 6:30am Deep Eddy Relentless Boot Camp and she is doing exactly that--staying consistent! Since February she has lost the following:
18.2 pounds
6% body fat
14.95 inches
1 pant size

LISTEN UP: It did not take 1 month, 3 months...to put on unwanted weight. Stay the course. Trust your coach and the process. Be relentless with dialing in on nutrition and busting your butt every time you show up to class. Do not make excuses for your actions. The results will consistently transpire over time. Believe it!

Bear in the House!

I coach an array of clients in my classes. One of my newest boot campers is Max (aka: Bear). He attends the 5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy class thanks to his friend & boss, Susan, in the class inviting him. In a months time, he has significantly improved his speed, strength, and flexibility. Bear forwarded me the news clip below from this week, and I thought it was too entertaining not too share. As you can see from the picture above, the airplane ride was an experience in and of itself.

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Some candidates require a lot of their campaign managers, but Max might not have fully appreciated what he signed up for.

Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson has his own unique campaign style. He sent us the following note about a day on the campaign trail.

Patterson wrote, "As you know I’m traveling around Texas in my 1944 Stinson observation aircraft, which is a genuine “warbird” that was actually flown by the USMC in the 1945 battle of Okinawa. My campaign manager, Max is relegated to the back seat of this 2 seat fabric covered airplane. There’s of course no air conditioning and due the fact that the aircraft with its plexiglass roof gets fairly warm these days its frequently necessary to stick your head out to get some fresh air to avoid “queeziness”."

Do you have a unique story or job adventure? Has CrossFit helped you make it through your everyday duties more at ease? Post comments below.

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.

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.

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.

Mike O' Workout

Mike is in my Tu/Th 6:30am Relentless boot camp at Deep Eddy Park. The picture above is him performing sand bag carries up the stairs at Deep Eddy during our week off from class last week. Now that is what I call a Relentless athlete.

Since joining class a year ago, Mike has lost over 20lbs and 6% body fat. He never misses a class, has referred countless friends to our Relentless and CrossFit Central programs, and leads by example to his friends across the country and in the work place. Check out Mike's success story from this past December. He continues to improve daily. The workout below is in his honor.

The Mike O' Workout-
2 rounds- 2 of his co-workers workout in the same class with him
21 KB swings - for losing 21 lbs, and he loves kettlebells
20 burpees- 1st class on May 20th of last year
6 sprints- for losing 6% body fat, and he is the fastest guy in class

Traveling CrossFitter

I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!! What a fun, showout, amazing week in Cali. I know one thing that is for certain; the weather in Laguna Beach is a lot cooler than this TX heat. Mad props to all the athletes I coach daily in this heat.

I am so glad I went to support CrossFit Central at the 2010 CrossFit Games. I have stronger friendships with my co-workers after this past week and even more thankful to have the best job ever. I could not be more proud of Jess, Jen, Carey, Lindsey, and our Affiliate team. Job well done!

While I was on vacation, one of my Relentless athletes was also on vacation. The pic above is Michelle from the Tu/Th Deep Eddy 6:30am boot camp on top of Cascade Mountain in the Adirondack's. Michelle writes, ".....gorgeous hike! This was about 2.5 mile hike straight up...almost like stairs except they were rocks and branches ...and let's just say all we do in CrossFit made each one of those steps so much easier! I felt so strong like I could keep going up and up and up and up! :) Thank you!!!!"

The Monster

(Renu performing the sumo deadlift high pull)

(Matt performing the pushup part of the Monster)

This morning in the 5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy class everyone performed a new kettlebell exercise. We named it the Monster. I learned the entire combination yesterday with Coach Ben Flores and decided to implement the exercise into a Relentless workout. This was the 1st time I had someone say they considered the burpee portion of the workout the rest part. Renu and Matt (pictured above) are hard-core athletes in this class and set the pace for everyone to chase. Great job today!!!

Monster = hands on kettlebell on the ground, jump back into a sprawl, perform a pushup, jump back into sumo deadlift high pull stance, perform a sumo deadlift high pull, then perform an American swing. All the above movements equal 1 rep.

Try this workout at home. Choose a kettlebell weight that is challenging to swing overhead.
3 rounds--
8 Monsters
5 burpees
Post times and comments below.

Happy Birthday, Michelle!!!!

Today is Michelle's birthday in the Tu/Th 6:30am Deep Eddy class. She has been in Relentless Outdoor classes for a year and is constantly improving daily. Michelle is a success story in not only weight loss, but endurance, strength, and quality of life. I am honored to not only coach Michelle but to also have her as a dear friend. I can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with this amazing woman.

Michelle's Birthday Workout-
38 squats- for 38 yrs old
19 burpees- born on 1972
72 situps- born on 1972
6 sprints from Deep Eddy parking lot to Lake Austin Blvd- for the month of June
1 round- for being born on the 1st

Post your times below.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHELLE!

Superstars

"Unlock your future by relentless learning and application and a cup of humility."

Once again my Relentless athletes are superstars outside of class too. Susan and Renu are in the 5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy class and were featured in the Statesman a couple of weeks ago from the 2010 Rare & Fine Wine Auction Gala. Looking smoking SHOWOUT, ladies! All the early morning hard work is paying off.

Laura's Race

Laura is in my 5:30am Tu/Th Deep Eddy class. She recently traveled to California for a race and kicked some butt. Nice work, Laura!!!! On to the next one. Check out her recap below.

I had a great race in Cali! The Carlsbad5000 went well, and I'm excited to see where my training as taken me and where I can go next! I placed 19th out of 419 women aged 30-34 and then took a much needed week off. I went from 21:04 in November to 20:28 in March, and at Carlsbad I raced to 20:05. Pretty excited about where my training is right now and where I can go next! My next race will most probably be Congress Ave Mile in May.

Traveling CrossFitter

Michelle is in the Tu/Th 6:30AM Deep Eddy boot camp. I love coaching this girl! She has only missed class due to travel and always shows up full of life. She competed in the Relentless Adventure Challenge, already signed up for the Trojan Challenge, and knocked out the 1000 pushups in a month contest, and the 500 burpees in a month contest. Every week Michelle makes strides closer to her goals. I am motivated by simply coaching her. Michelle will be celebrating her 1 year anniversary with Relentless Boot Camp in June. She recently traveled to Japan to attend the Tokyo Marathon. The pic above shows her representing the Double Cs across the world.

Ginger's Success

Ginger joined the 6:30AM Tu/Th Deep Eddy Relentless Boot Camp in November. She has made huge strides forward and found a new community of friends! Check out her "WOW, boot camp's done a lot for me" moments below from 2 weeks ago, along with her own bit of entertaining sarcasm.

I had a couple of "wow, boot camp's done a lot for me." First, I was running on Saturday with a friend I've been running with for about a year and a half. Entirely unprompted, she remarked that I'm running a LOT faster. Of course, that's comparing "the movement of glaciers" to "perceptible forward motion." But still, relatively speaking, it's nice to have someone notice an improvement. Even better, I finally got to ride my bike on Sunday, and although I haven't ridden since September, I was able to do a (for me) fairly long ride and I wasn't tired afterward. More important, I've had a continuing problem with my hands getting numb when I ride. It's a pain and kind of dangerous because it affects your ability to shift and brake. Bike coaches have told me that this happens when you lack core strength. For the first time EVER, my hands didn't get numb. This is a big deal, and totally due to boot camp and your excellent coaching. So thanks!

How has Relentless Boot Camp improved your quality of life? Post comments below.

Congrats, Davianne!

CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement, Davianne!!!!

Davianne is one of my 6:30AM Tu/Th Deep Eddy boot campers. She joined the class about 3 months ago and increased the intensity of boot camp with her strong endurance and speed in no time at all. I had the opportunity to get to know Davianne more this past summer during the 2009 CrossFit Games. She has a heart of gold. A hard worker. Smart...getting her PhD at UT. Fun. Outgoing. And a showout, Relentless boot camper!!! Check out her ring in the picture; it is not the typical diamond engagement ring.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to coach such encouraging, phenomenal, and amazing athletes everyday! All our boot camps have an open-door policy. Feel free to drop-in and give a class a try. We are not just your coach; we enjoy every moment of getting to know our clients and delivering a Level 10 experience every time you come to class.

March Programs

We are in Week 4 of the Relentless Adventure Challenge. Two team members from Team Holla Back Girls grabbed in an extra workout this weekend at the UTB. Jane & Vanessa (pic above) have a great tip for all you interested in trying out free workouts.

Jane & Vanessa's Advice: "grab a BIG GUY to be on your team!! We snagged Blake and he was awesome ... very motivating and fast and strong ... woohoo!! AND he carried the ball on the whole run ..."

March programs launch on Monday as well. Spring is the perfect time to join a Relentless Boot Camp. Try out a class for FREE.

Showout Meg's Boot Camps-

• Lake Pointe MWF 8:30AM
• Deep Eddy Tu/Th 5:30AM
• Deep Eddy Tu/Th 6:30AM
• Dick Nichols Park Tu/Th 6:00PM
• Flywheel Fitness on S. Lamar Tu/Th 8:00AM - BRAND NEW CLASS
  

Success is contagious...

I remember hearing "success breeds success" from my Dad growing up. Success is contagious. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people challenges you, but also strengthens you to reach goals that once seemed unimaginable. I know this is true for a fact, because I experience it daily. I am surrounded by driven, focused, encouraging, motivated, goal-oriented coaches. I have too much pride in myself and CrossFit Central to not take my job serious and demand more of myself daily as a professional and from my clients. To reiterate this example in Relentless Boot Camp, read the success story below from Tim who is in the 6:30AM Tu/Th Deep Eddy class.

First of all, let me say that I can’t give Megan enough props on the work she has done for me personally and for our boot camp. I originally signed up, reluctantly, to boot camp with my friend, Mike, and in the beginning was truly not committed. My lack of commitment to the program resulted in lackluster improvements. Megan did not lose faith and continued to be positive and encouraging. After the New Year, I had a renewed desire to get in shape not only for myself but also for my family. This time I stuck to the program and followed Megan’s advice both in training and my diet. In a matter of 6 weeks, I lost over 14 lbs and feel stronger and healthier. I also utilized the boot camp training as my primary regime for preparation of the Austin Half Marathon (which is the best run race in the country – go Michelle!). I beat my goal by 15 minutes and was completely injury free before, during, and after the race. A sincere THANK YOU to CrossFit and Megan.

Stay tuned for before/after pictures. Tim and Mike are both competing in the Relentless Adventure Challenge on Team Showout. Achieving goals daily!!