Thursday, September 22, 2011

New Title

Ok, when I started this journey I was feeling quite yucky with myself. So in talking to some people I realized that I really want to be a bad ass. Just ready to take on the world, empowered, full of awesome. What I didn't realize that in 4 short weeks that would happen. I thought that my journey from fat ass to bad ass would be a long one and one that would take me from my current weight and pants size to a much lighter, skinnier me.

What I know now is that inside me is one bad chick. She is full of Awesome and ready to take on the world. As overused as this word is, I feel empowered. I feel confident about myself. I feel like I can do anything. That is what was missing from myself. Along this way, I will get stronger, weigh less, and wear smaller sizes than I do now. That is good, I will be healthy, lean, and a force to be reckoned with, but I now know that is not the only reason to do this. Now, I can continue on this journey, Full of Awesome being my motto. I am not done, I have just hit a major point and am moving forward.

I also realize that this is not just for me. I am supposed to share it with other women as needed. There may be a man or two along the way also. Who knows? God knows and He will guide my words and my journey.

So I will keep on being me...Full of Awesome me :)

Here's to 4 weeks complete!

I have not written in 2 weeks, and tons of stuff has gone on! My birthday was September 11th and I just had a poor, pitiful me morning. Then in the afternoon my car limped home on it last transmission leg, which really stunk. BUT my awesome cousin called me and said "Let's go have some birthday dinner!" and I was in. The girls and I met her for dinner and it was a great time :)

I stayed up too late and woke up with my knee hurting so I passed on Monday's workout. I went Tuesday and Thursday and it was good. I am so ready to move on from last week.

This week has been amazing!
Monday Skill
Jerk

WOD
3×500 M Row
Rest 5:00
*Jerk skill practice during rest

I thought "Yeah rowing" In the middle of my second row, I thought I may rethink my relationship with the rower. I still love it in place of running, but it kicked my bootie that morning. Luckily we only had time to get two rounds done :) And that afternoon my facebook status said this: Dear 6am CrossFit girl, as great as those squats feel during your workout... Your knee is not quite ready yet. Love, 3pm Walking like an old lady :D

Also on Monday my cupcakes were featured on We Are Austin Live, so I was super excited to get that advertising, and super stressed to get them out on time as well as a cake order for a sweet 3 year old. But, I got it done and all was good!! MY CUPCAKES WERE SEEN ON TV!!!! That was so very cool :)

Tuesday Skill
Knee to Elbows/Toes to Bar (EXCUSE ME???)
Handstand Holds (NOT GOING TO HAPPEN)

WOD
7 Minute AMRAP:
7 TTB
7 Box Jumps (step down)(BAAHAAAHAAAA)
7 Push-ups
21 Singles

Notice my comments beside some of the above? Those were my 5am thoughts, somebody is crazy and it is not me! As I was driving there, tired, I thought I am so tired and this is going to suck. (those are my thoughts most mornings at 5:15 am) I was SO wrong, apparently my awesome was just waking up inside of me and had a few things in store. When I got there I had a chat with Walker about box jumps. We talked about how it comes from inside. I told her that I asked Bart to build me a succession of boxes that I could work my way up on at home. She said just start with step ups and then go from there.

Skill: Toes to Bar means hanging on a pullup bar and then bringing your toes up to your hands. Not gonna happen when I can't even hang on the bar well. Next scale is knees to elbows, ok we will go with that. I did hang and could move my knees up a little, so that is what I did!! I also learned that my sisters friends calls this "Knees to wherever the hell they go" For me it was just a few inches, THREE times!!

Skill: Handstand Holds means standing on your hands and holding it (duh). Walker had me start on the tire, putting my feet on it and locking my arms and dropping my head. Good, I can do that, and I did. Then let's try to kick up. I just stood there and looked at the wall and the floor, totally intimidated but the whole concept. Then she showed me how to turn around, squat with my hands on the floor and walk my feet up the wall. That I could do!!! AND hold for 30 seconds!!!! SWEET!!

A little side note: My first day in the gym I noticed a really neat set of chalk handprints on the floor near the wall. I thought "How awesome, someone did a handstand right here!" Today those handprints on the floor..THEY WERE MINE!!!!!

WOD:
7 TTB (or in my case 3 KTWTHTG, see above for definition, thanks Nicole)
7 box jumps (or in my case 7 on each side step ups)
Wait a minute..this was my awesome day so that is not exactly how it went...as I was doing step ups, I thought "screw this" and I just stood there staring at the step and the door and I jumped and I made it!! I did it again, and I made it again!! Walker came around the corner and I said "I just jumped on this step!" She said "Do it again" so I did it AGAIN!!! I was so pumped!
So let's start over...

WOD:
7 TTB (or in my case 3 KTWTHTG, see above for definition, thanks Nicole)
7 step jumps (box jumps on the step I was using)
7 push ups (oh yea, I don't know if I posted this on the first week, but I could barely do 3 saaaad pushups, and I did 7 competition ones on my knees whoo hooo!)
I skipped the jumprope due to my knee being a pain

I did this 3 rounds!!!! I wanted to just cry with joy. So I did, had a weepy moment with Walker and left the gym. Got in my car and just broke down...This is what I posted on my Facebook status :Hey guess what... Those handprints on the floor are mine! And those footprints on that step, those were made by my first box jump on that step. And I am AWESOME! with a comment of: And these tears are tears of amazing joy. I was floating in a sea of awesome. I still tear up two days later with these emotions. I could not even talk about it all day without this feeling.

Three hours later still not believing what I had accomplished this is what I wrote: Dear 5am so tired I can't see and I don't wanna go woman;
Today the awesome in you took over and kicked butt in the gym...don't forget that feeling. Love, Handstanding, step jumping, pushup doing, all day feeling euphoric CrossFit girl :) I didn't lose that feeling all day, actually I am still feeling it!

Today Skill
KB swings
HSPU (Bring it!)

WOD
A. Hip/Hang Snatch x2×3 rest :90
B. Clean x1×3 Rest 2:00
C. DL 3×3 rest 2:00
D. Back Squat x5×3 rest 2:00

So super excited today!! Tired, but ready so go. I was actually dancing in my car on the way in this morning. Kettlebell swings, AMAZING! Handstand pushups, not so much yet, but I did a scale for me and did it great. All of the WOD was review and was good. We did put some weight on the Deadlift and I did 95#!!! AWESOME!

Today was the completion of 4 weeks of CrossFit. I don't want to stop, I want to keep this up for the rest of my life. I really love CrossFit. It has changed my life. I feel strong, empowered, so much more than I have ever felt. This morning someone said "I started doing this to lose some weight" I looked at him and said "This is about so much more than losing weight. It changes something in here, inside your very being." and I so meant it.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

I heart rowing

This week started off on a strange note. Sunday I sent my hubby off to work and then listened as so much of Central Texas started to burn. I worried some about him since his fire station is on the outskirts of Austin and I was sure that they would be going out for this. He actually stayed in the firehouse all night (except for normal runs). During this time, I did a lot of praying, for him, us, and all who are touched by these fires, and then I cancelled my workout for Monday.

The reason I did that is because I was worried, knew I would not sleep much on Sunday night, and was a little afraid of doing an "All level" workout. I know that means I can scale it to where I am, but I am still a little afraid of it. I also realized that I cannot go 3-4 days without a workout. I actually missed it and it was hard to get back into. When I got up and looked at the WOD, I realized that it was also in teams and I know that I cannot keep up and don't want to hold anyone else back with that kind of workout. Whaaaa...time to get over it.

Tuesday morning, alarm set for 5am, get up and get moving. Check the WOD, see that we are going to learn to row. That could be very interesting. I have watched rowing on Biggest Loser and in the gym and thought, my belly is a little big for that. Whaaa again...here we go. Start that warmup with the lovely 300m run. Ran just under 150m and walked the rest of the way back. Finished warmup and realized that the lovely Crossfit saying is so very true "Our warmup is your workout" It is a little intense for me, but it is getting better.

Time for skill, rowing. Walker brought out a pvc pipe that she was using to demonstrate, and all my sleep deprived mind could think about was "is she going to use that to keep us moving?!!??" Nah, she used it to show us exactly how the rowing machine compared to actual rowing in the water. Pretty cool :) Ok, pair up and let's go. Michelle and I are on fairly level workout ground so we grabbed each other and I jumped on the rowing machine. Guess what....I LOVE to row!!! It was challenging, and got my heart rate up, but I could do "sprints" on it and not fall down, and actually succeed. I felt elated! WOD time, 250m row, 10 walking Russian lunges (think lunge, twist), and 10 chin ups (ring rows for me and Michelle). Music was pumping and 3-2-1 GO! It was a great workout. I really love it when the level 2 class encourages us. It is nice to hear "Great ring row form, you are doing awesome!" I actually came in for the last set of ring rows dancing to the music. Love, love, love. I left workout all smiles and feeling GREAT!!!

Wednesday, day of rest. Slept in until 8:30. We had a volleyball game in San Antonio Tuesday night and got back around 11. Sent my honey back to work and had a day with the girls. Again with my "no running on Wednesday" policy :)

Today, Thursday, dawned after too little sleep. Up and out of the house by 5:15. I don't ever want to be late. Burpees are the punishment and I think that I will just opt out of those unless someone makes me do them. Late is a choice, and I choose to be early :D

Checked out the WOD on the way out the door, (we need an app for that please), and was so pleased that it will include learning how to dead lift. Took a second to talk crap to my sister on facebook about learning this skill and away I went. By the way, there is just something about walking outside on these last few mornings that has put a spring in my step...thank you, God, for cooler weather!! Asked Walker if I could row instead of run and was approved for that, YEAH!! I loved today's workout. I am so looking forward to increasing my lift. We learned to front squat with weight, 20# for me, liftoff and deadlift, started at 20# and then went up to I think #40 (I need to check on that).

So this week has been a mixture of feelings again, but compared to last week they are different. I love Crossfit, there, I said it, I love it. I did not ever think that I would or could say that. I have had knee pain for several years and that is really bothering me and I don't like the way it is interfering with my workout, and it is the reason that I have not done anything in many years. I started seeing a doctor last Tuesday, I like him, even though it looks like my thigh met up with a whipping stick. He does the Airrosti method of release...I really can't explain it even though everyone has told me that he will fix me where I am broken. Check it out at www.airrosti.com. I am hoping to get it well very soon so I can reach my full potential in the gym!!

My plan for the weekend is to go in and do a 1000m row at least one day, and take a family walk. Put on my new hot pink tennies and be ready to kick it next week!

Check out some of my new friends at www.breathelater.wordpress.com and www.theclothesmakethegirl.com. These ladies bring it every morning to the gym and one day I will be right there with them. You can also check out my Crossfit gym at www.crossfitaustin.com. We are expanding this weekend and have a great new member savings for the next few months. Come on in, I would love to workout with you :)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The first week of the rest of my life

This week I started working out at a Crossfit Gym (or box as they call it). I was scared to death. You have met me, I weigh a lot. Too much. I thought that this workout might just kill me. All weekend I pelted my sister and cousin with questions. My sister own a Crossfit in Cali and my cousin goes here in Austin, so they knew what was going on. Monday morning dawns (early) and at 5:15 we were on our way into Crossfit Austin.

Everyone was so nice and welcoming and then our trainer said "Ok, let's warm up with a 300m run". The next 10 seconds were crazy in my mind. "What? 300m? Have you seen my fat butt? I don't even do a workout of 300m. Are you crazy?" But off we went. I ran 150m and walked the last 150, but I did it. Warmup was brutal and then there was the workout which had pushups, squats, and more running (I hate to run). I learned and I did it. My squats are amazing says my trainer. Hey, I am good at something!!! And I finished Day 1.

Day 2 was on Tuesday, again bright and early. I was so sore I just wanted to lie in bed and crash. But back we went. Tuesday will forever be known as hell day for me. It was hard, painful, hard, brutal, hard, awful, hard and just plain hard. I wanted to be done and go away. We had 6 rounds of our workout of the day (more running was included), and I did 4. But, I did 4! That is great!! The rest of the day all I wanted was a one story house and the ability to pee standing up. My body hurt.

Wednesday, my day of rest. Thank you God for days of rest. My body hurt, but not as bad as the day before. I did not run anywhere Wednesday.

Thursday, Workout #3. The WOD (workout of the day) is posted after midnight on the website. Since I get up at 4:45 to get to my 6am workout I do not stay up to check it, and just look at it in the morning. Today, I noticed that there were things that I did not understand, but one thing I did understand is that there was NO RUNNING!!! At least during the workout. All warmups start out with a 300m run, which I am running half and walking half. I kind of danced a jig when I read no running, but then was afraid that I would be sorry because I really don't know what all of the WOD meant. It was great, we did strength :) I can do this! I will be sore tomorrow and may cry when I roll out fondant, but today I did great!! I felt confident about my workout and my ability. I actually have a great squat and that will translate into a strong lift when I am ready to put weight on my bar. I am going to rock this part. Now, I just need to work on the cardio stamina part :)

Now, I have 3 days of rest with some light walking this weekend. My Crossfit experience so far has been mixed. The workouts have made me want to cry and puke and have made me feel strong and confident. The people that I am meeting have made me feel accepted and loved. The encouragement that I am getting is going to get me through this. I am blessed to have this in my life. I am making a decision to change my life for me and that will spill over onto my family.

I will continue to keep this blog, not for you, but for me. I will share some highs and lows. Don't judge me by the title of my blog, I am sure I will offend someone and I am sorry. I just want to be a bad ass. To me that is strong, secure, and confident. I have met a few of these this week. I want to be like them. I will share other Crossfit blogs as they inspire me.

Guess what, I survived my first week, and left the gym with a big smile on my face and happy tears in my eyes.