Failures and Triumphs

Why do I love crossfit, besides my new found strength, growing muscles, and amazing community?

You aren't allowed to have an ego!  If you're anywhere near or around my level, where the games will always be something you watch on TV.  Christmas Abbot and Andrea Ager are your idols..you also are quite familiar with failure..A LOT!  That's why I love it.  The minute I get a little cocky because I nailed a body weight exercise WOD..I get out on my ass by a damn Oly (Olympic lifting) WOD because I can't get under the damn bar and SQUAT!

It's very similar to love I have for endurance events.  I love them because you won't always have a great run, you won't always PR at every race, and you might just have a shitty training season (like I am currently in).  But everyday you still get out there, you still put in the time, and you still follow your nutrition for race day to perfection.


Some of my friends consider this passion of mine an obsession or weird.  I smile and just walk away because I know in my mind that this all transfers to real life.  I never allow myself to get too cocky, but I never get too down on myself because I always remember that there will be a new day, another chance to try it again.

What is your biggest failures?  How do you overcome them? I try and follow up a bad workout the next day with a confidence boost lift.  Yesterday- I couldn't for the life of me get under the bar during cleans, so today I did squats and am almost back up to my max from before I got hurt! 


PS- next week is Valentine's Day..have you bought something sweet for your loved our for yourself? Want to give your body something sweet without the guilt?! Comment below and see how you can get a discount for EnergyBits!

2012 Look back and even more to look forward to in 2013

As the New Year approaches I tend to look back and think back on what I did and what I can't wait to do in the coming year.  There were SO many great things that happened in 2012, but the biggest thing also led me to my number one plan (I don't like resolutions because I nail down things that don't have an end date).  After being chosen to be a ENERGYBits Brand Ambassador, I was able to connect with some pretty amazing people!  One, in particular, was Sloane Pitman.  A bright young, fit freak like myself. After reading her story, I realized we had more in common than just fitness.  We both battle with our relationship with food.

(FYI- THIS IS WHERE I GET A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS..Skip these next paragraphs if you don't like serious talk and feelings..)

Ever since I can remember I've always had a little "extra."  I've never been overweight or anything, but I've never had a flat stomach or felt 100% comfortable in a bikini.  So starting at a young age I would try and run extra or cut back on food.  Other times I would have a bad day or stressful week, so I'd binge and feel like even more crap.  I'd always tell myself that I'm going to stop and just eat healthy, then the "fluff" would definitely come off and I'd look like all the girls in the fitness magazines I read.  Well, strange thing happened...it never really happened.  I'd eat healthy, but then I'd indulge a little around birthdays or holidays, enjoy a cocktail or two, and I'd be right back at it..trying to analyze everything that went into my body, counting every calorie, measuring EVERYTHING.

It wasn't until after I read about Sloane's "freEDom" (freedom from eating disorders or disordered eating) and I was thinking really deeply, this past week, about what I really wanted to change in myself.  The number one thing that coming back was I wanted to eat and feel good, eat a piece of pie at Thanksgiving and not regret it, or have a margarita and not secretly hate myself for it because I knew exactly where it was going.  So this year instead of a weight loss or fitness related goal for 2013, I'm going to NOT diet.  Does this mean I'm going to stuff my face with whatever I want?  No, it just means I will eat what I know my body needs to complete what I demand of it and not worry if I indulge a time or two.  I want to get back to being able to go out with my friends and enjoy myself, instead of stressing so much and staying home to avoid temptation.

Okay..feelings and seriousness is over, so here's my main highlights from 2012 in pictures :)

My first duathlon

My 5th Full Marathon

I started CrossFit

My first Warrior Dash

I lost my best friend

My first vacation since I can remember that didn't involve a race..or any agenda

My first triathlon

My first Ragnar! RagnarGR

My first CrossFit Competition

Sub 25min 5K with my amazing cheerleaders

My boyfriend got to come for the first time to one of my races!  (he was a collegiate baseball player)

Being chosen as an ENERGYBits Ambassador

Being chosen as a Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador

While that's great and all; I CAN'T wait for what fate has in store for me in 2013...Here's a few things I have on my schedule and I'll see what life decides to throw in between..

3rd Half Marathon (February)

2nd Duathlon (April)

GRADUATION (May)

CAMPING post-graduation in Colorado (May)

4th Half Marathon (June)

2nd Triathlon (August)

Ragnar Las Vegas?! (October)

What're your highlights from 2012? What's on your goal list?  Do you have any plans for 2013? 

Under the Bar Fear and Milestones! *GIVEAWAY*

Yesterday's WOD & Extra Strength Workout:

1 HANG POWER SNATCH & 1 POWER SNATCH EVERY 1:30MIN FOR 10 ROUNDS

3X5 BACK SQUAT

MAX REPS IN 2 SETS OF KIPPING PULL-UPS

The snatch was the worst part of it!  For the life of me I CANNOT get over the fear of getting under the goddamn bar!!  Do I know why?  NO.  Is anything stopping me? NO.  Is it driving me nuts? YES.  Especially, since I've been stuck at 68# for a while now.  One of the coaches even said, if I could get over the fear of getting under the bar I'd be able to load the bar up way more.  Any suggestions?!

65# Power Snatch 

On the other hand my pull-ups have taken an amazing turn :)
I've always had to use some sort of band help to do kipping pull-ups since I started CrossFit in July.  Well, today part of our extra strength workout was to work on a gymnastic weakness, so one of the coaches told me to do kipping pull-ups.  We had to get as many reps as we could in two rounds.  Well, after the first one with the smallest band we had the coach asked if I could take away the band.

I had never tried kipping pull-ups without a band and was a little skeptical.  I decided to do it though.  I grabbed the bar, tightened my abs, butt, and prepared myself for failure.  I started with a couple BIG kips and started to pull myself up, expecting to making it half way and falling back down.  BUT guess what?!  I made it all the way!! Not only that I made it up 11 more times in 2 rounds!!!  It took me a couple minutes to realize what I had done and just stood there looking at my calluses thinking, "HOLY CRAP..I wanna do it again!"  This morning though...my body is feeling all that shoulder and back work and putting on jackets has been a little harder today, but well worth the pain!

Pull-ups with bands

**GIVEAWAY**

As most of you know I'm a Brand Ambassador for ENERGYBits.  This means I get to spread the amazingness that is algae and how it not only improves your workouts, but improves your insides, outsides, and your mind :)

Well I was just sent my ENERGYBits Brand Ambassador Starter Kit (Pictured below).  Inside of it contained cards with my discount code: GONEBEAST  and samples of ENERGYBits for my followers!  SOO I decided to have a giveaway based off the topic of this blogpost! The giveaway will include a sample of bits, discount codes, and information about algae and spirulina and how they affect your body!

It starts on MONDAY and ends that FRIDAY when Rafflecopter will pick the winner, so it's fair and unbiased.  Remember you can enter EVERYDAY, BUT you must do ALL the points to get entered!

GOOD LUCK and CAN'T wait to get you #PoweredByBits

a Rafflecopter giveaway