Gettin' Back on the Wagon

Well, the Great Paleo Challenge had to be put on hold for a bit. I got a gross Stomach Bug on Easter weekend and it took about a week to recover!  At first I was annoyed and stressed out about falling off the wagon, but you know what? Such is life. I just had to put it behind me and get back up.


So here I am, ready to start again. It's April 15 and I'm going to revise my plan a bit. I'm going for a 2 week challenge. This will be perfect for the end of the month Crossfit Central Spring Cleansing. 


It's not how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up...

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!!

Paleo Challenge: Day 1

My daughter, licking the chocolate fondu plate.... pretty much what I've been feeling like lately!

The past few weeks I've really let my diet go to pot. After Sectionals, I spent a few days indulging- a little Key Lime Pie (my fave), a few fries, and before I knew it I was in a tailspin! So.... I decided to do a 30 day Paleo Challenge to recharge and revamp. I notice that lately I'm more irritable, not sleeping well, and well, kinda bloated!

For the next 4 weeks, I will

• Cut out the sugar
• Increase the veggies and water intake
• Absolutely no grains or corn
• Plan meals for the entire week and be a Gold Star Food Logger

I will also be working towards doing Angie as Rx in 3 months (June) under 20:00. That means I need to focus on my strength (pullups) and stop being Complacent!

Aaahh Rest...

Here are some of the things I have been doing the past few days:

• Drank a margarita (see above)
• Ate a cheesy Mexican meal
• Slept in the past few days until 7am!!
• Taken a few naps
• Stretched
• Made cookies with the kids (including eating some)
• Didn't make a To-Do list
• I'm about to sit down with my husband and watch my first movie in months- woohoo!

It has been nice to let my brain and my body rest and recover. But I gotta tell you, I'm itchin' to get back in the gym!

My First Birth as a Doula

The past few days have been full of emotion for me. As you (may) know, I recently became a Doula. I have been teaching Hypnobirthing for almost 2 years, so I decided to expand my services. I really want to be with my Moms in their labors as both support and advocate. My first client (we'll call her Ann) was due on March 22. Most first time moms go an average of 41.5 weeks, so I figured I was safe that she wouldn't need me during Sectionals.

Oh Universe. How funny you are!

She texted me on Thursday night at midnight saying she was having contractions. The first thing I thought was, "Oh no! I don't have my doula bag all packed!" So I got up and got some clothes and food ready in case I needed to jet out the door in the middle of the night. I tossed and turned most of the night waking up at 7am to text her to see what was up.

Ann sounded like she was still in Early labor (which could go on for a while) so I got up, got the kids ready and sent them off to Preschool. This was my big rest day before Sectionals, and I didn't really think I would just be laying around all day anyway. I had a private class to teach in the morning, last minute running around to do, etc. So "rest" was a bit iffy.

At 11am after my private, I called Ann's sister to check in. She said Ann was resting but still having irregular contractions. We decided it was time to head over to the Birthing Center since it was Friday- Spring Break and SXSW traffic was already getting bad!

As I was gathering my things, I began to feel the enormity of this situation I was about to enter. I was about to be a part of a huge, life-changing experience in this woman's life. I could go on and on about the experience of childbirth. You emerge as a different person after having a baby. It is a rite of passage that women before you have been going through since the dawn of time.

Here is a quote that sums it up quite nicely:

"The moment a child is born, a mother is born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother. Never. A mother is something absolutely new." ---Rajneesh

I have been through two births myself. But watching another woman go through this process was something completely different. It was amazing. It was heart-breaking. It was beautiful. It was transformative.

When I arrived, Ann was sitting on a chair moaning. Not in a painful way, but in a good way. Birth is a primitive act and the key to a successful natural birth is to surrender to that primitive part of yourself. I'm not going to re-enact the entire thing, but it was a cooperative effort on the part of all three of us. Her husband would support her for a while then I would take over. Sometimes we would both lay hands on her to help her relax. It was hard for me to know when to back off. I definitely didn't want to be in the way of their intimacy. Birth is very intimate, and you can see a stronger bond form between husband and wife in the process of labor.

As I looked at my watch, I realized I was missing the packet pickup for Sectionals. It was 6pm. But it really didn't matter. More on that later. I was content to be where I was and I was focused on the present.

Ann began to push around 6:45. The next 30 minutes were by far the most intense and miraculous part of the whole birth. I am not a shy person so I watched in amazement as she pushed that baby out!! I got to see the first bits of head as it emerged with each contraction then went back in a bit. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. The baby's head slowly began to crown- there was so much hair on his little head! Ann was doing great. This is by far the most intense part of labor. The head emerged- we could see his little ear, then his cheek. Finally the rest of his body slipped out and holy shit! there was a baby!

The midwife placed him on Ann's chest covered by a towel. They didn't know the sex of the baby, and I was so worried that I was going to spoil it by accident! I didn't even see the "parts" since the towel was over it. But of course I was like "did you look?!" "what is it?!"

It was a boy! A beautiful little boy.

I am so grateful and honored that I got to be a part of this birth. I still can't even put into words what it was like to be there, to be part of it, and to witness this amazing feat of strength and beauty that was so transformative for this woman. I look forward to the next birth with bated breath. I hope I can continue to serve women in this way. To be a calming presence. To be a loving guide, and to be of humble assistance to their Partner as well.

And that was just on Friday!!

Next up, Sectionals.... a whole other kind of intensity!

The Journey

I'm competing in Sectionals.

There. I said it. I've been reluctant to tell many people because I don't see myself as a stellar athlete like the other coaches at CF Central. I know. None of that matters. Just do your best. And I am. For sure. That's what I've realized.

As I was listening to Tony Robbins this morning, he talked about the Journey (of life) and how, often times, it is what you make of the Journey and what the Journey makes out of you that is more important than the end result.

Since January I have totally zoned in on my workouts. I have upped the ante. I have worked out twice a day at least two days per week. I have added a Tue/Thurs. A.M. class at Run-Tex. I have upped the weight when I didn't think I could lift it. I have been focused during my workouts when before I just came for a good workout. I've cried thinking there is no way I can do this. I have felt accomplished for breaking all my PRs. Yes. The Journey has already made me into a stronger person- mentally and physically. This preparation has taken me to a place where I wouldn't have gone if I didn't sign up for Sectionals.

Yet I am still. so. scared.

What if I can't lift the prescribed weight? What if I am last in every event?

I have to just push through those mental barriers. I can do it. In the end it's only Me against Myself.

Finding Balance

Motherhood seems, many times, like a huge balancing act.

Kids.Partner.Work.Self-care.Food.House.Workouts.Family.Social.

Moms tend to put themselves last on the To-Do list. By the time everyone is fed, clothed, and tended to emotionally, spiritually, physically, etc. there isn't much left for You.

According to the dictionary, the true meaning of balance is all about Harmonious Distribution. I like that. I'm striving to find more balance in my life, and it is an everyday struggle. As I add more to my plate, something else has to give. Do I stop or slow down on my personal goals or do I keep plunging forward as my family suffers? I know there is room for both. I know it will take dedication, planning, and a lot of support and teamwork with my husband.

How do you find balance?