Hey Ya! Kids Make Halftime Dancers Look Clunky

Hey Ya! Kids Make Halftime Dancers Look Clunky I know they would make me look clunky too! So Funny!!!

Mobile test...a view from my desk.
Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

21-15-9

I kept my promise to be in the gym 4-5X last week.  The commitment to eating clean will commence when I return from Synod Youth Workshop next week.  I refuse to endure a shopping trip for food that I will not have the opportunity to consume.  This week I've worked out once, logged below, I have plans for today, tomorrow, and Saturday before I leave for SYW.  I have plans for 3-4 "home WODs" while at SYW to stay on schedule.  :)  Now on to yesterday's torture!

Wednesday's WOD at CrossFitFTW was brutal.  When I saw it posted on the website (along with my before and after pics :-) ) I knew it was going to be brutal. 

800 meter run
21-15-9
  push press (RX 125m/75f)-65#
  pull ups -blue band
800 meter run

Now the 21-15-9 was a shoulder burnout like nothing I've felt before.  It alone would have been a great workout.  But adding the running made it especially challenging.  Especially for me.  Running is my nemesis.  I hate everything about it.  I lack that mental....thing necessary to keep pushing, to keep moving.  In 18months of crossfitting, my running has only improved slightly simply because I hate it so much.  I hate it so much that I don't care to improve it.  At all.  Period.  I'll do it in a WOD if programmed as such, but I VERY rarely ever do it on my own.  Running is not my idea of fun.  That's why I crossfit for fitness.  Anyway, back to the WOD.  My goal was to not be dead last... and if I was dead last (seeing as how the WOD ended with a run) my goal was to finish in less that 25min.  I did it!  I wasn't last...I was next to last, and my time was 23 something!  Pete beat me by almost 10min which is just a testament to his beastliness and not my suckiness.  I was pretty proud of my self.  I might have been able to do the RX'd weight of 75# but then I definitely would have been last and over MY 25min deadline.  D said I didn't seem as winded as I have in the past.  He seems to think that my aerobic capacity is improving.  Maybe it is.  I don't know.  It's slow going in that department.  My arms, shoulders, traps, and lats are very, very sore today.  Thursday's WOD is up.  Cleans!  My favorite...when I'm not sore.  My traps hate me already!  It hurts so good! 

On an unrelated note... as soon as the hubs and I buy some more storage for our hard drive, I will try to start adding pics to the blog.  Our memory is maxed out so I haven't been taking any new pics since I have no place to save them. 

Discipline

Discipline is not my strong suit.  Especially when things are hard or different than "normal."  Any kind of lifestyle that is different or inconvenient past a certain point is hard for me.  I guess it's hard for everyone.  I do just fine with little tweaks, but big things don't always last.  For example, when I was in nursing school, I was not your normal college kid.  I didn't stay up late partying.  I wasn't in a sorority.  I even had to quit intramural sports.  I had clinicals at 6:15am.  Therefore I had to be in bed asleep by 10 at the latest so I could get up at 4:30, to be out the door by 5:45 to be at the hospital by 6:15.  The rest of my time was spent studying, sleeping, or working.  Many of those things overlapped.  My mom talks about my incredible discipline during that time of my life.  The thing is, I've never had much endurance in the discipline department.  I can maintain that type of kill myself schedule and get sh*# done.  But that super intense time in my life only lasted 3 years or so.  It was survival mode.  My lifestyle now is much different.  There is no super intense, do-or-die deadline.  I go to work.  I work hard.  I go home.  I try to exercise at least 3 days a week.  I try to eat clean.  I can get in a routine...a groove... and just keep going.  Discipline has little to do with it when it comes to routine.  But throw a wrench in my routine, and I'm done for.  This spring has thrown many a wrench my routine.  Deaths in the family.  Long planned trips.  New roommates.  These routine killers are what squash my discipline every time.  I will squander and hum and haw and make excuses.  All because I got out of my groove.  Since Grandmother died in April, I have had one hell of a time getting back to my routine.  I was working out at least 5 times a week.  I was going to the store regularly and buying yummy, easily prepared, clean food.  Not anymore.  Since that week long trip, and the subsequent trip for Aunt Flossie's memorial service, and a trip to Philly, I have been "so tired."  I hate that excuse.  I know it's a choice every minute of everyday to do what's best for my body and my mind.  That's where I lack the discipline.  The discipline to just make the right choice; to ignore my desire for the sweetness, or the 30minutes of pseudo-sleep, or to skip the store and just order take out.  I am re-committing to making the right choices for my body and my mind.  I need to dig deep and find that discipline that I can pull out in times of extreme need and stretch it out.  Make it last.  I never want to not feel strong.  I never want to not feel healthy.  The choices I make affect these feelings.  Having the discipline to make the right choices over and over and over again make all the difference. 

Don't Worry. Be Happy. :-)

Post #4 of my 5 Star series.  I'm have a little extra time at the end of my work day, so I thought I'd dive on into number 4 on my list of 5.  This is another category that seems impossible to whittle down while at the same time keeping in mind #5(5 people/pets that you are thankful for).  Lots of things make me happy.  Lots..LOTS! 

#1  Waking up on my own, without an alarm.  There is just something about waking up without being jolted artificially out of Dreamland.  I feel refreshed and ready to go about my day with a smile on my face.

#2   Dark Chocolate.  Smooth.  Silky, Tasty. Yummy.  :-)

#3   Playing softball.  I've been playing softball since kindergarten.  I played on a tournament team when I was a little girl.  I played for my high school.  I played city league three nights a week most of the way through college.  I play city league now.  It takes me back to a time in my life when I had almost no worries.  Life right at that moment is about your team and the game.  Playing ball just makes me happy... and its good interval exercise at the same time!

#4-  MaMa's sandwiches.  I don't normally eat bread, however if MaMa is making me a sandwich, I'm going to eat it.  Period.  I don't know what it is about her sandwiches...or anything else she makes for that matter, it all just tastes AH-MAZING.  I could follow her around the grocery store and buy all the same ingredients.  I could stand with her side-by-side, and make a sandwich identical to her's step-by-step.  It will not taste the same.  Everyone says it's because she "cooks with love."  She is love.  Her sandwiches make me happy.  Makes me feel like all is right in the world, even if just for a second.

#5-  Spinach.  I know you're thinking, "huh?"  I realize this is the 3rd food item on my list.  I guess I could have lumped all things tasty into one item on this list, but it just wouldn't be fair.  Some food items deserve more notoriety.  Maybe I'll have a sixth post about my 5 foods that make me happy, or my 5 favorite Mommy food items... hmmmm.  Anyway, I l.o.v.e. spinach.  Raw, steamed, sauteed, microwavable...just not canned.  I love it with breakfast, in place of lettuce in my salads, and as a side at dinner.  I could eat it every meal.  Seriously.  Plus it's super healthy and full of iron.  We women of child bearing age need all the dietary iron we can get. 

I wish I could list more than 5 things that make me happy.  There really are SO many.  What makes you happy?

Thanks, Mark

So, I'm not 100% primal. I'm not even 80% primal right now.  But I try.  I have good days.  I have bad days.  But explaining to people, why I do or don't eat certain things is exhausting.  I love Marks Daily Apple.  I L.O.V.E. this post.

AH HA!!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/is-skim-milk-making-you-fat-2479492/

5 Stars:3

Post number 3 in my 5 Star series is all about 5 things for which I am greatful.  This post could go WAY past 5 things.  I am so incredibly blessed, I cannot name all the ways.  I can list 5 for sure!!

1.  My husband.  He challenges me everyday to be a better, more open, understanding, patient person, to put forth my best effort no matter what, and to not take things so seriously all the time.  He is a giant kid with man-like tendancies...er...I mean a man with kid-like tendancies.  He loves to play, laugh, joke, and tease.  He is especially good at pushing my buttons.  But when it's time to put his work hat on, he will work until the work is done.  His work ethic is like none I've ever seen...except maybe in my own father.

2.  My family.  I give credit to my family as a whole for most of my blessings in life...Well, God for my family and my family for my blessings.  My upbringing was full of love, encouragement, culture, fun, God, and LOVE.  I was taught to do my best, work hard, and love unconditionally.   From my parents, to my grandparents, to my aunts, uncles, sibling, and cousins, everyone was a role model for these things.  My family is extraordinary at the very least.  I learn from them every day.  Those lesson have helped me be the person I am, and have helped me get to where I am. 

3.  My calling to be a nurse.  Many people struggle with a path in life...a career choice..."what am I going to do with for the rest of my life?"  "Do I really want to do this for the rest of my life?"  Some people go into nursing for the job security and potential for big bucks.  Those nurses arn't the best nurses.  I truly believe it is a calling.  From the day I started nursing school, I knew I wanted to be a nurse.  I hated every minute of nursing school.  It was "grey" and really really really HARD.  But hating nursing school never discouraged me from wanting to be a nurse.  Now that I am a nurse and have been since 2004, I know there is nothing in this world I would rather do for a career.  It is rewarding in so many ways.  I never go home and think about being anything else when I grow up. 

4.  The privilege of living in The United States of America.  Although there are many things going on in this country and in this world that I don't agree with, I live in a place where I can say that I don't agree with my government.  I am FREE, and SO grateful for the men and women in uniform that make that possible every day. 

5.  Crossfit.  Do I really have to explain it again??

Tell me about some of your blessings.

I. LOVE. THIS.

http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2011/05/skinny-fat/   

"Annie"

This week at CrossFitFTW, D has been prescribing some of the "girls."  "Helen" was Monday. Today..."Annie."  "Annie" consists of: 50-40-30-20-10 reps of double unders and sit ups.  I did this in January.  At the time, I wasn't very confident in my DUs so I did single unders at a 3:1 ratio.  I killed it at 9:05 or something.  I've progressed (a little) on my double unders, so today I was determined to do it prescribed.  My time...15:50.  Bummer.  I didn't know what to expect since I had never done it prescribed before.  I only strung together 8 DU's at the most, so they REALLY ate up the clock.  I have many lashing marks on my legs, arms, and hands.  But, I now have a PRESCRIBED benchmark to work from.  I can't be too dissapointed.  Before we tackled "Annie," we did a 5x5 progression of weighted reverse lunges.  My knees are bruised and my butt is already getting sore.  My weights were 45#-55#-65#-75#-85#.  That's the equivalent of 50 walking lunges...only backwards...with a barbell on your back.  Bring on the soreness!!

I wonder which lady D will pull out of the bag tomorrow??

Day 2 of my five 5 star posts.

Today I post about...5 things my body can do.  I really love this one.  Only because, being a normal girl, I have body image issues.  My legs are too short and, um, thick.  My butt is just as thick as my legs.  I have line backer shoulders.  BUT what I perceive my body to look like is not what this post is about.  It's about what this body God gave me is capable of...

1.  I can throw like a boy.  My daddy gave me some important tools growing up.  To throw a punch and a ball like a boy was one of them.  I believe this ability hasgotten me several dates, and intimidated many a girlie girl along the way.  Awesome.

2.  I can over-head squat 130#.  I know a said something about this last week, but IT. WAS. AWESOME. And I still can't believe I actually did it.  You can go see it here.  I can also, do 3 pull-ups, squat clean 125#, do double unders, push ups, 1.5pood kettle bell swings, 20" box jumps, walking lunges, 85# power snatch....the list goes on and I'm forever thankful for CrossFit.

3.  I can two-step with my hubby like no body's business.  This includes the occasional flip, and even more rare jitter-bug shoulder stands.

4.  I can start an IV and you may not even feel it.  Starting IVs is a skill that involves, skill, knowledge, and instinct.  In the world of nursing, either you're good at starting IVs or you're not.  I am good.  I am very good.  I have the occasional bad day (who doesn't), but all-in-all, I can put a needle in your vein and almost invariably, you will say, "Wow!  That's it?"

5.  I have an Olympic immune system.  In 13years of public education, and 5years of college, I can honestly say I may have missed a total of 10days of school due to sickness.   Now I'm a nurse and am constantly surrounded with all kinds of infections; stomach bugs, pneumonia, skin infections.....  I  manage to stay healthy with only the occasional sinus infection usually caused by occasional allergies.   I'm constantly hearing about teachers getting sick all the time, or mommies getting sick from whatever their kids brought home from school.  So far, this hasn't effected me at all.  I guess I'm genetically blessed in the immune system department.  Thanks, Mom and Dad. 

What awesome things can your God given body do???

5 Stars

So... I'm following in the foot steps of my girl, Mel over The Clothes Make the Girl. She got the idea from another blogger.  Go figure!  The gist of this whole deal is to make five short lists about yourself...5 positive short lists.  These are the five categories of positiveness:

*5 things you love about yourself
*5 things your body can do
*5 things you are grateful for
*5 things that make you happy
*5 people (including pets) that you love

Now, for me of few of these lists may seem redundant or over lap.  But, the positive things in my life are sort of continuous throughout and affect many many aspects of my life. In keeping with the trend of the other peeps participating in this lovely mood lifting list making, I am going to do one list at a time.  So today you get
5 things I love about myself:

1.  I'm "true blue."  I once had a coach call me this.  He said, no matter what, if I said I'd be there, I'd be there, and I'd give my all no matter what.  I was so humbled at that moment.  I've tried to hang on to this and strive to stay this way into my adulthood. 

2.  I am FANTASTIC at my job.  I don't mean to toot my own horn here, but it's true.  And I'm not saying there are not places I can improve, but my patients know and trust me.  They don't like it when I'm gone, and I hear about it when I return.  I have several patients who will not allow any other nurse to come anywhere close to them with a needle.  The pride buried deep inside loves this. 

3.  I'm no damsel in distress.  I can change my own oil, fix a flat tire, I have the brains not to run out of gas, I swing a hammer better than most men.  Don't expect to see me on the side of the road waiting for someone to come save me.  I can save myself and save us all a whole lot of time.

4.  I have fantastic eye lashes.  Thanks, Mom and Dad.

5.  I don't make friends easily, but I keep the friends I make for a lifetime.  I truly believe that a person can be measure by the company they keep.  If that's the case...I'm awesome! 

Well...what are 5 things YOU love about YOURSELF???

Ooops

So it's been more than a month since I've written.  Sorry to the few stragglers who actually follow this. 

A lot has happened in the last 5 weeks.  Most importantly, my Grandmother died.  There is so much to say about this.  I cannot even begin to start and finish in a way that would satisfy my feelings for her.  She had not been herself for many years, and had no quality of life the last 6-8 months of her life.  But, that doesn't make it any easier to deal with the fact that she's really gone.  My grandmother, with whom I share a birthday, first name, and initials, is gone.  Every time I sign my full name, I will think of her.  And if I ever have a daughter, Charlotte Ellen will be on my list of possible baby names; NOT after myself, but after HER. 

In other news:
- I overhead squatted 130 pounds on Tuesday.  That was awesome.
-My "Primal" diet has been...well...not primal.   Not so awesome.
-I played in a softball tournament last weekend.  We played 7 games in one day.  I now know what they mean when they say getting old isn't for sissies.   Awesome and not awesome all at the same time.
-Amos pulled his toe nail off.  It cost me $250 for sedatives, pain meds, antibiotics, and a small procedue.  Not awesome. 
-He's fine now.  Awesome.
-3 weeks from this Friday will be my 5yr Wedding anniversary.  AWESOME.

ZZZZAAAAPP!!

Extra holy iris, Batman!!! 

Last April or May, my sweet husband finaly went to the eye doctor after an extended period between visits due to a lack of insurance/mulah.  He got online and found a doctor listed on our vision plan who was close to home.  To make a long story short, my incredibly impatient husband was incredibly pleased with the doctor who spent 2 HOURS fitting Beau with contacts that actually fit.  Wow.  Beau had such a good experience that I decided I should go get my eyes checked.  My vision is fine, but I hadn't been to an eye doctor in 8 or so years.  I figured it was time.  Turns out it is a good thingI went.  I have what is called narrow angle glaucoma.  Go here to see what that actually is.  Basically, the plumbing in my eye doesn't work right, so my eyeball fluid has no where to go.  The scary part is glaucoma has no symptoms until you've lost vision, and I'm not talking about blurry vision, I'm talking about giant black shadows in the middle of your vision.  You are probably saying..."Isn't she too young for glaucoma?"  I think so too, but that's not the point.  Luckily this condition is treatable without too much trouble.  I will not be spending my life with daily eye drops, etc like my grandmother.  No, thanks to technology, I have had the pleasure of a laser iridotomy.  In a nut shell, this procedure zap-zap-zaps an extra hole in the iris so that the fluid in the eye has another avenue through which to drain.  The website, makes it seem easy and mostly painless.  The website if full of crap.  I was pretty uncomfortable for the duration of the day, had a splitting headache, and my vision was jacked up enough that I couldn't read or watch TV without more pain during the 3hr process of drops, wait, drops, wait, zap, wait, drops, wait, wait, wait, go home.   And I get to do it again in two weeks for the left eye.  Joy.

My Lenton Food Challenge

     One of the foundations of the CrossFit lifestyle is diet.  They encourage a diet high in protien, fat, and vegetables; and low in carbohydrates.  They discourage consumption of grains and sugars.  This is not Adkins type stuff, as you can eat as many vegetables as you like.  Many are high in carbohydrate but they do not illicit the insulin response that bread, pasta, and refined sugar do.  The purpose of denying yourself all that is tasty and "good" is to train your body to use fat as feul and not sugar.  Go here to read an article on how this works.  Now, obviously this is  little controversial.  It goes against "conventional wisdom" as well as everything you and I have ever known.  Over the past year I have decreased my bread and sugar intake significantly, however I have not gone full out bread and dessert free.  I haven't bought breakfast cereal or a loaf of bread in I don't know how long.  The only sweets I buy are multiple forms of dark chocolate and the occasional "all fruit" popsicles.  B and I have terrible sweet tooths.  A package of Oreos won't last 3 days in this house.  Therefore I don't buy them.  I have continued eating sadwiches and rolls and cookies....... just not in the quanities of old.  I just couldn't bring myself to do it all out all the time.  I love my carbs. 

     Last week marked the begining of Lent.  Lent is the 40 days and nights before Easter.  It is ment to symbolize Jesus' time in the desert leading up to his betrayal, crucifiction, and Resurrection.  Most people think that only Catholics observe Lent.  I am not Catholic.  I was raised Presbyterian.  In my church we study, and observe Lent in anticipation of Easter.  We do not, as a religion, give up any food groups (the Catholics do not eat meat) we just use the time to learn and dwell on the upcoming events.  When I was in highschool, my Sunday school class chose to give up something for Lent.  It was a challenge to give up something so we might have an ever so miniscule idea of the deprivation Jesus experienced.  I think I gave up cokes.  I struggeled.  It was hard.  But I did it.  I took that experience and I've continued it almost every year since; usually giving up something "easy" like cokes or chocolate or shopping.....  Little things that make me think everyday about my choices but nothing too challenging.    This year..... I've given up all grain based carbs and sugars.  This has not been easy although it has not been excruciating either.  This week has been more challenging and slightly less successful than last week, mainly because of an upcoming monthly event that wreaks havoc on my hormones and therefore cravings.  I lost 5lbs last week alone, telling me that there is something to this.  So, to give you a little taste of my diet the last 12 days or so, here is a little  example of what I've eaten lately. 

-apples
-blackberries drizzled with heavy cream (it's berry season! YAY)
-greek salad complete with feta cheese and olives (I enjoy something along these lines at least every other day)
-tuna
-cottage cheese
-big juicy steak with lots of fat marbling throught out *drool*
-asparagus
-broccoli
-more salad
-dark chocolate
-a couple french fries (carbs yes.  grains no.)
-one buffalo wing followed by a "DOH!"  It's breaded.
-Chili complete with cheese and onions
-brisket
-home made trail mix made with raw almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and dried berries (snack of choice when afternoon munching is a must)
-protien shakes made with AES protien powder, coconut/almond/or whole milk, and whatever frozen fruit we have on hand
-2 Zone protien bars (these are not exactly on the plan, but they are my way of battling afore mentioned hormonal cravings...not meat and veggies but not giant wheat rolls or Oreo cookies either).

   Those five pounds I lost have revealed more back muscles, less elbow poochy fat, a couple more ab muscles, and one motivated girl. 

Now to withstand the next few days of hormonal weirdness accompanined with moodiness and a life and death desire to eat BREAD!

my recent endeavors

Since January 2010, I have been exercising 3 days a week.  I CrossFit.  If you don't know what crossfit is, google it.  It is, in a nutshell, constantly varied, high intensity functional movement.  All workouts are done for time; either a certain number of reps as fast a possible or as many reps as possible in a specific time domain.  Olympic weight lifting (my favorite) is also incorporated into the programming.  All I can say about crossfit is I. LOVE. IT.  I have never found an exercise regimen that I enjoyed enough to keep going after I reached whatever goal I was working toward.  When I started crossfit, I had no set goal or deadline. There was no size, there was no event.  I wanted to feel healthy, and feel good in my own skin.  I can honestly say I've done this.  I haven't lost a significant amount of weight, and I still don't have the desire to go run a 5K (although I am in April), but I'm stronger than I've ever been, I can over head squat 110# 5 times, I can do double unders jumping rope, and I can very likely dead lift your boyfriend.  I have found a "sport" that celebrates my thunder thighs for what they are...pillars of strength and power.  I have a new found pride in my body that I never have.  Sure there are still things about it that I would like to change, some achievable, some unachievable (due to genetic make up), but I know what my body is capable of and it's probably more capable that your's.  I've lost inches.  I'm wearing smaller scrubs to work.  My jeans are comfortable.  I have back muscles like you wouldn't believe.  Don't get me wrong, I do have goals.  I'd like to lose about 8lbs.  Do-able.  I'd like to clean 150# by May.  Do-able.  I'd like to do pull-ups un-assisted.  Do-able.  I'd like to back squat 200#.  Do-able.  I'd like to feel confident while doing box jumps.  Do-able.  I'd like to do infinite push-ups without having to put my knees down.  Do-able.  All of these things are achievable with a little practice, patience, and perseverance.   
I have also come to love the people of CrossFitFTW.  We've come to know and care for each other.  I have made some new friends, one in particular that I know I will keep for a very long time.  This is huge, seeing as how I don't make friends. I just keep the ones I have.  My coaches are extremely knowledgeable and motivating without tearing you down or making you feel like you've failed.  D is constantly reminding me of my strengths...excellent body awareness and movement...my form is impeccable...my shoulder mobility is unparallelled. Thanks, D for making feel good about myself when Pete just lapped me...again.  :-) 

All in all, I am not like the bad asses you see at the CrossFit games or on the videos you may have watched on YouTube.  But I'm a bad ass for me and in my world, and I've learned many things about myself since I started CrossFit. 

Things I've learned since I started CrossFit:
1.  A bad training day is better than no training day.
2.  Show up- don't quit
3.  you are your own limit
4.  don't be scared.  it will only slow you down.
5.  you will not die by pushing yourself to what you perceive is your limit...see number 3


I can truly see myself doing this for the rest of my life.  It really is a lifestyle that fits me perfectly.

Starting Over

I have a little more free time these days.  I thought I would try to get back to business here at the blog.  I'm hopeful for some big changes in my life this year, and I want to be in a habit of logging them before they happen.   So...here we go again.