Wednesday Motivation!

Get Some!!!

It's the Little Things

I'm listening to The Slight Edge - for about the 4th time. There are so many little nuggets that I take away each time I listen.

My favorite is the concept of Compounding Interest. It's the littlest of things we do (or don't do!) each and every day that, after compounding, have a big effect on our lives.

Take exercise, for example. You decide to begin an exercise program on May 1. You definitely don't see anything different that day in your physique. In fact, you are probably very sore on May 2! But what happens if you keep exercising 3 times a week for the entire month of May?

On June 1, you notice your pants are a little looser. Your clothes fit better, and you are able to do way more than on May 1! Amazing!

What happens on July 1? August 1? September 1?

Results keep compounding. Day. after day. after day.

But...... it's important to be PATIENT!

Don't base your results on the scale. Look at how your clothes fit and, most importantly, how you FEEL.

The picture above is me in Feb.2009. I had just started Crossfit and was really out of shape and I remember feeling like I was never going to see results. Would I ever be able to do a pushup on my toes? Would I ever be able to do a (gulp) pullup?!

Yes. and Yes!

Remember... It's the little things you do (or don't do) that make all the difference.

"Perseverance is not a long race; It's many short races, one after the other."

-Walter Elliot

Paleo Challenge: Day 3

The ladies of O'Dark 30- yall are an inspiration!

"The right choices and the wrong choices you make at the moment will have little or no noticeable impact on how your day goes for you. Nor tomorrow, nor the next day. No applause, no cheers, no screams, no life of death results played out in Technicolor. But it is precisely those very same, undramatic, seemingly insignificant actions that, when compounded over time, will dramatically affect how your life turns out."- from The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

I have to admit, it's been a rough past few days. My head is pounding. I walked through Whole Foods today and wanted to eat everything in sight. I'm even having weird dreams. I know it's just my body de-toxing, but jeez!!

Here's where things get tricky- since I am a Mom of two young children, I indulge them in a treat now and then. Yesterday we went to Starbucks after ballet and I got them a donut. Usually I split it into thirds- we each get some. But yesterday I just split it in half. And drooled. I usually would have said "It's just 3 bites. No big deal." But 3 bites here. 3 bites there and you've somehow eaten an entire dozen donuts.

It's the power of Compounding!

See, it's the small things done on a daily basis that really change your life. For example, a month ago, I decided I was going to make my bed every day. That may seem like a really small, insignificant task- how could it possibly change my life?

What happened was that it started to make me feel more complete in the mornings. Sure, the rest of my room was a mess. But it started to put me in a good mood and get me off to the right start in the morning- an easy accomplishment to set the pace for my day.

Anyway, back to the donuts.... I was able to hold myself back and not indulge! And I know that by the end of the 30 days, my willpower will have compounded itself beyond measure!!

Sometimes You've Just Gotta Chip Away...

This morning's Crossfit Women workout was

Eva

800m run

30 KB swings (24kg)

30 pullups

5 rounds

It was an incredibly hard workout. And one that was mentally exhausting as well.

The thing to remember when faced with a tough task at hand is to just chip away at it- bit by bit. Take it one step at at time. In the last round of pullups, I was doing 2 at a time. Rest. 2 more. Rest.

Here is a little nugget I found on an affiliate site that is always good to remember after a long, hard WOD, especially when you aren't that pleased with your performance.

Written by Ali Incredible

I was chatting in the locker room after the WOD and the woman I was talking to was dissappointed in her performance. Relatively new to CrossFit, she persisted that she had performed terribly. What I would like to say is this: you showed up. After two years of CrossFit I have had peaks and valleys, been discouraged and elated, but when it comes down to it, crappy performance or PR, I showed up. Usually, I am the last to finish a workout, but sure as shit, when I get in my car after, there is always a little smile. Best or worst, congratulate yourself on coming. You’re among a small group of people that show up knowing you will get your ass kicked. If you’re new, please know that people who have been doing this for years, studs in the gym, do not PR everyday, they don’t set record times every day they come. It’s about effort, and half the battle is showing up. Next time you feel bad about your performance, tell yourself you’ll do better next time, look around you at the amazing folks that show up to sweat next to you, and smile.

A big shout out to Cheray who I have the pleasure of working out with so early in the a.m.Thanks for motivating me!

Have a wonderful weekend :)

My Story

Using my functional fitness :)
October 2008

Summer 2008. It's the 2nd summer in a row I haven't bothered to buy a swimsuit. I dread going to the pool. My pregnancy swimsuit still fits me. I have stopped counting the number of people who have asked me when I am due. Did I mention my son was 15 months old?!


Baby weight. It is that nagging last bit of weight to go. For some of us, it's a whole lot of weight we can't seem to shake. I lost it all quickly with my 1st child. What was happening this time?


As Moms, we tend to put ourselves last. If you have more than one child, it's even harder to find time for yourself. It's a mixed bag. You know if you exercised you'd actually have lots more energy. But when do you find the time? Your baby is finally sleeping throught the night. The last thing you want to do is get up early to....exercise!


By the Fall of 2008 I had enough. I tried working out in the garage. I tried videos during naptime. Nothing seemed to work. I realized I needed to join a class to get some motivation. But 24 Hour Fitness was not appealing in the least bit.


One day I saw my friend, Maggie. She looked amazing!! She had lost around 20lbs. and was glowing. I asked her what she was doing and she said "CrossFit." Hmmm.... I had seen some t-shirts around town, but all the guys looked way buff. Then my friend, Lara, said "I went to this CrossFit bootcamp and it was soooo hard." I like hard. At Lara's house I saw a postcard for some kind of "I am Crossfit" challenge. I decided to give it a go. At least it would kick start my motivation. I vowed to try it for a few months.


The I am CrossFit challenge was both exciting and intimidating. I had never done any kind of Olympic lifting or even attempted a pullup in my life! I made it through the kickoff and set my alarm for 5 am Monday morning for my first day of class.


January 1. I have no idea what is about to happen to me. I had no idea this was "assessment day". Today's WOD was Angie: 100 situps, 100 pullups, 100 squats, 100 situps. Holy hell. I literally had tears streaming down my cheeks as I jumped up on that box trying to make it through those jumping pullups. But as I got into my car to drive home, I thought, "That was so hard. But I did it!.....damn, I'm gonna be sore tomorrow."


Cut to 8 weeks later. The I am CrossFit Challenge is over and I lost 4% body fat!! I got the hang of the Zone diet, dropped a dress size and was totally hooked on CrossFit. Now 8 months later I have dropped 2 more dress sizes and can finally do a kipping pullup!


If you talk to anyone who has been doing this for a while, you'll hear a common thread- CrossFit isn't just about losing weight or getting fit. It is about belonging to a community of like-minded people who are here to encourage you, cry with you, and tell you to wipe off the dirt and keep on going. It's not just the Coaches. I have enjoyed hanging out with and getting to know the ladies in my classes- something you don't get at globo gyms. We are all here, working together, cheering each other on, and most importantly supporting each other in whatever endeavor we are working on. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?!


Since my background is in education, I decided to merge my love for teaching with my love for Crossfit. I am excited to teach CrossFit Kids classes as well as Adult Bootcamps and am also available for Personal Training. I want to help you reach your goals- whatever they may be!


Are you ready to change your life?

Monthly Assessments

How did you do this month?!

In our CrossFit Women's Class, we did Max Totals this month while everyone else did Fight Gone Bad. It was great to see so many PRs this morning! I love this assessment because we really get to help each other on form, encourage and motivate each other, and see amazing results. Way to go ladies!!!

Welcome!

I am excited about all that is happening in my life and can't wait to share it with you! I've been writing the CrossFit Women Blog for a few months now and have enjoyed it more than I ever thought. I will continue to do that, but I will also use this platform to talk more about my personal journey.

I have to find a picture of myself to post along with a bio. Funny how when you're a mom, you're always taking pictures so there are none of me...

Have a fabulous Thursday!