It's not you, it's me...

The past 6 months has been the best CrossFit experience for me yet. No, I'm not winning any medals or standing on the podium at competitions. I actually haven't even competed in a while. Competitions (whether your home box or local competitions involving multiple boxes) are one of the best ways to track your progress. We train and train day in and day out to go up against the best and see how we stack up. Not only is it awesome to compare your fitness with your peers but it's just plain fun!

I originally thought taking a break from the competitive side of CrossFit was going to just kill me! I am a competitive person and CrossFit is very addicting. And honestly sometimes seeing photos on facebook of my friends and training partners killing it at competitions bums me out. But I realize soon my time will come and all is well.

Whether you realize it or not competitions at nerve wrecking! There's so much pressure. Gotta look good and you better perform well and represent your coaches and gym. And God forbid you don't sign up for the RX'd division. Because seriously, who scales right?? {{insert sarcasm}}

CrossFitting simply to be healthy and strong is my current goal. Nothing else is motivating me. Ahh, I feel like I can breathe!!! No pressure, no upcoming competitions to freak me out. It's just me, a regular ol' mama lifting weights and staying fit. That feels so good! And what's awesome about it is I'm still improving. I'm still setting personal records, I'm surprising myself with my strength and capabilities. In the past I realized I kinda sucked (not kinda, I did suck!) under pressure (ok, who doesn't?). But for me, especially at last year's Open, I sucked. Real bad! The pressure gets to me and I feel like I have to beat everyone and everyone's watching me and I turn into Jessie from Saved by the Bell onto many pills. "I'm so..so..scared!" So maybe his break will help me suck a little less! Keeping in mind I'm competing to do well but with less pressure on myself.

Just maybe wish I could make my comeback with a medical degree...like Julie Foucher ;-)

Poppin' tags, ditchin' scales

I'm finishing up my Christmas shopping and I see this sign:

"Buy one, get one FREE high waisted jeans!"

Umm, yes please! I've got a thing for anything high waisted - jeans, skirts and I have the cutest high waisted bikini! (That's a whole different topic for another post but it's perfect for you mamas out there who want to get into a two piece but are self conscious about your stretch marks.) Anyways...so what's Christmas without buying yourself a thing or two? So off I go into the dressing room with jeans of multiple sizes. Being a woman who lifts weights you just never know how pants are going to fit or what size you'll fit into. Dem quads, hammies and glutes sure don't like skinny jeans, it's a wonder why I even try anymore.

After trying on a few pairs I finally found my size. Now don't be jealous ladies. I mean, keep in mind I do workout up to 5 times a week and follow a pretty strict diet. I can actually cry over the thought of pancakes and ice cream. It's not without dedication and discipline on a daily basis that you're rewarded with such a sweet little number.

So proudly I announce my size...10. No, I didn't accidentally type a one in front of that zero. I'm wearing a size 10.

Ok, so really it wasn't that big of a surprise to me. First of all I was shopping at Charlotte Russe, a store packed full of clothing for gals who normally fit into a size 4 with no problem. You know, when you can pick up jeans and they fit just right. When your jeans don't give you that horizontal line beneath your booty that cuts right into the back of your thighs. I hate that! Or when your jeans fit your waist and your thighs. Oh, I'm green with envy!! How I miss easy shopping trips before squats entered my life. Now I have jeans that fit my thighs but are way loose around my waist. ......Ok, what I actually have is leggings. Leggings don't give me any fuss. Leggings are a CrossFitter chicks closet staple!

So here I am, an athlete of 20+ years who currently is CrossFitting and lifting weights anywhere between 3-5 days a week, low body fat percentage, eating a gluten free and paleo diet, while also starring at a tag with double digits. WhAaAaAaAt? Clearly I need to lose some weight. Clearly I need to start counting my calories better and maybe even run every day from here on out. I'll replace my barbell with more time on the elliptical for sure.

It's a tragedy to me to think that there are so many women in department store dressing rooms promising themselves that they'll do whatever it takes to fit into those coveted size 2 jeans. Or starring at themselves in their bathroom mirror hating their bodies. Hating the person they see. Going as far as starving themsleves or drinking shakes for meals. All for a tag. All for a number. All because society and magazines have convinced the 21st century woman that skeletal is perfection.

Now don't get me wrong..some women naturally have low body fat and little muscle mass (while doing little cardio, eating plenty, doing clean and jerks, and box jumps to their heart’s content). Some of these women are also pretty amazing athletes.

So I'm 5'5", sporting a size 10 and weigh 135-140 lbs. Whenever someone asks my weight they are shocked by my response. Crazy, I'm fitter than I've ever been with low body fat and I'm 140 lbs? That's why BMI charts suck. They don't care how many kettlebells you can swing or what you can deadlift or what your 1k row time is. All it cares about is your weight. Jason Khalips (second fittest man on Earth) said: "My life-insurance policy went up $98 a month after my BMI was checked. Blood work, body fat, overall fitness - not important."

140 lbs - clearly I'm a good 20 lbs overweight, right? Do I look like what you think 140 lbs looks like? What does that look like? Is it healthy? Does it matter? All I care about is what top I'm going to wear with these size 10 jeans!


DISCLAIMER
No, this is not a stab at you skinny girls. No, CrossFit is not the best exercise regimen for everyone. No, I am not better than you. No, I don't think you're an idiot because you enjoy running or using the elliptical. No, I don't think it's wrong that you're natually skinny. No, I don't think you're gross for being too skinny or too fat. No, I don't think I'm perfect. No, I'm not a professional, these are just my opinions. I love you all! :-)

My Journey

Transformation!

The hubby and I



Pregnant with baby number 2



I have been an athlete all of my life, soccer, softball and volleyball was where I excelled. I played collegiate soccer but quit that prematurely to start a family. In 2007 I married my high school sweetheard, an amazing man who loves my body no matter the shape or size. (Women, thank the man if your life for this!)  We are very active with our church and love to hang out with friends and stay busy. A busy schedule and an inactive lifestyle inevitably brings on the pounds. I was about 15-20 heavier than when I was playing sports. And then, shortly after we tied the knot I got pregnant with my first son. I gained 60 lbs and nearly hit 200 lbs at my heaviest. If you sort through my photos you will see a few of me prego. I look as if I could topple forward! My first son weighed in at 9lbs 5oz! So, needless to say, I had a ton of leftover skin, stretch marks galore and many pounds to drop. And wow, was that a shocker! For the first time in my life I realized I needed to lose some weight and go on some sort of eating plan. So I did what everyone thinks is the most efficient and quickest way to lose weight...RUN. I ran a mile or two and did pilates about 5 times a week. Here and there I would do some weight training as well. I was dedicated and dropped about 30 lbs in a matter of a few months. I thank God for the dedication and passion He equipped me with. Without Him I never could've accomplish the weight loss.

I continued this exercise regiment for the next couple years until in 2010 I get pregnant with my second son. It's the same story. I ate everything in sight and gained 60 lb. I was looking huge and ready to lose some weight and feel confident in my skin again. But this time around I needed something different. I hated running and pilates was really boring me. Being an athlete I missed competing and having a challenge. I heard about CrossFit, watched some videos and instantly knew this was for me! I was going to become a CrossFitter! 1 year after giving birth to my second son I worked up the courage and stepped foot inside a CrossFit box and my life was forever changed. The community of CrossFit, the competitive side and the ever changing programming was exactly what I was looking for. I am stronger than ever, look and feel better than I ever imagined. My high school and college days can't even compare to the new me! My confidence is through the roof! There is absolutely nothing that is impossible for me. That has got to be one of the best things about the sport. You accomplish things you absolutely never, ever thought were possible. Every day is a challenge but if you go in with a positive outlook and give it your all you can never fail.

My husband and I now CrossFit everyday together. I thank God so much for our gym, our amazing coaches and the community of people we have at CrossFit Artis. We bring our two boys with us and amongst their playing with the other CrossFit kids they watch as mommy and daddy do pullups, climb ropes, run sprints, throw barbells over our heads and more. We often hear them shout, "GO MAMA! GO DADDY!" That's why we CrossFit.

Starting this blog has been one of the best decisions of my life! It is so amazing to see the people I have encouraged and motivated. Seeing them change their life and become healthier is what keeps me going! It is humbling and I think God for this opportunity to inspire others.

Follow me on my journey as I strive to be bigger, better and stronger and glorify God every step of the way!

Criticism is a gift

Do you ever feel like you're the one everyone is staring at, pointing their fingers at you and yelling out at you all that you suck at? AHHH, nothing is worse!! I have worked in a preschool classroom for the past 10 years and the number one rule I have learned over the years is whenever talking to a parent about their child's day (particularly a rough day) you always start it off with positive stories about their child. What they excelled at, how they did so well at this point of the day, etc. Nobody wants to be approached with all this negative crap the second they walk in the door.

It doesn't matter what you do or who you are. Be it a preschool teacher, CrossFit athlete, stay at home mom, CEO of a company, fashion designer, deep sea fisherman, you fill in the blank - ain't nobody (great grammar, I know) want to hear all day: "You could've done this better," "Next time do it this way," "By the way, you forgot about that," "That is just awful." BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! You want to be appreciated for the times that you did give it your all.

I get it, there is a time and place for constructive criticism in all aspects of life. My coaches at CrossFit Artis are A-MA-ZING at giving constructive criticism. Criticism that corrects and makes you stronger, more efficient and actually makes you want to do better! Since joining CFA my husband was the first to say that one of my coaches, Jon Day, is great at teaching because he doesn't make you feel like a fool. And all us CrossFitters know how ridiculous we all felt the first time we went through snatch progressions! AHHH, get me out of here! Sometimes we totally mess it up and it's like we forget everything we've been taught. But Jon and Jen are gentle and patient with us. That's huge people! I've had a coach who in my first 8 weeks as a CrossFitter gave us a 2 minute into to the snatch and basically said "Have at it." Ummm, what? You do know this is the most difficult Olympic Lift, yeah?? Eesh.

We also have another couple in our life who are outstanding when it comes to constructive criticism. My husband and I went through a very rough patch in our marriage so since August when we renewed our vows we go and see our marriage mentors, Danny and Laurie from Calvary Chapel West Omaha, every other week. They have become like family to us. Us four have a very tight relationship and Brad and I know they want nothing else than to see us succeed in our marriage and as Christians. Knowing this we are able to easily take their adive and help. We do so because, even know at times it's hard to hear what we're doing incorrect, we know if we just tweek what we've known then it'll benefit us! That's what criticism is made to do. Motivate us to be bigger, better and stronger! Mentally, spiritually and physicially!
Criticism is an opportunity for us to grow. It shouldn't be done in a way that just makes us want to give up. I am by no means saying that all I want to hear is compliments. No way! I love criticism. I love to learn and grown and be a better person in every area of my life. We all do! Once again, that is why I am so thankful for my coaches and mentors in my life. I value their opinion because I know they love me and want me to succeed in life. So to Jon, Jen and Danny and Laurie - I appreciate you guys so much!

Appreciate someone today who is lovingly and patiently correcting you. Don't take it to heart, know they're only wanting to see a better version of you. And to all the jerks who have no clue how to give constructive critisism, just smile and move on. Sometimes there's no getting through to them.

The Paleo Transition by Terry Shanahan - COMING SOON!

I have an AWESOME opportunity for you COMING SOON! I have worked with Terry Shanahan and he has changed my life. He has help me to take my health and athletic performance to a whole different level. Terry is very knowledgable with nearly a decade of experience. He has worked with professional athletes, CrossFit athletes, celebrities and even regular ol' moms like me. I've gone through ups and downs and could never find a "diet" or way of eating that worked for me until going through this course. If you want to look better, feel better, perform better or all of the above then be sure to keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming posts for more info to come!

First place CrossFit mama

Just yesterday my friend and training partner, Jacki Rodgers (Zangrille), found herself standing on the first place podium at a local CrossFit competition at CrossFit Vise in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Jacki is a wife and mother to two beautiful girls, Kaidyn (age 4) and Kinsley (19 months) and also works full time in early childhood. She is a 8 year CrossFit athlete who puts her health and love of CF as a top priority.

Jacki is a serious competitor but at the same time is very laid back. I asked her "Did you think you had the win the whole time?" She replied, " I knew all week I was competing but I did not want to overthink it. On the drive there I was kinda like, 'It would be cool to win!'" Jacki and many other individuals and teams of all ages and abilities crushed through wods consisting of bar over burpees, deadlifts, weighted overhead walking lunges, snatches, pullups and more. Zangrille ran 2900m in 12:15 and then immediately hit a PR on her 2rm thruster at 130#! Which was surprising to her considering the week before on a typical training day at our home box, CrossFit Artis, she threw up 125#. Did I mention she has two young children, under the age of 4 AND abs?! Jacki says her kids are her driving force. "I want to show my two little girls that it's important to be strong and healthy. And even girls can push the limits of human potential." Wow. What an amazing mother those girls have! As we were texting tonight she gave me some more great advice. "I can be done when my body tells me I'm done, not my mind. I never let my mind win. You just need to train your mind." Jacki is a very humble and outgoing athlete who loves to make friends and push others. During our conversation she talked about another female competitor (second place finisher, Kristina Nash) who hit 145# on the thrusters. "She is strong!" Zangrille said.

I am so proud to call her my friend. Jacki, you are an inspiration to all us CrossFit women!! Keep up your hard work! There are greater things to come!