I'm Back - LONG Week Off

Hello loves...I've been MIA since I went to California. I am trying to process life as well as I can.  Right now I'm stressed beyond belief.  Trying to find what makes me happy as well as trying to find a job and figure out what to do with the whole DA thing.  Funny how life works....when it rains it pours. I'm trying to focus on what I want for my life and I know it might make some people mad, but I have to do what I have to do.  Mama Dukes did a good job with me - I'm a smart girl with a good head on my shoulders.  I have faith it will all work out - in HIS plan! :) So I won't blog a TON but I'll share pictures with you....

Pinkberry at the Philly Airport en route to DA - I made a 90 year old friend - she forgot her money so I treated her to some Pinkberry -- she was super cute and I hope if my Oma is ever in an airport and needs something that there is someone to hook her up too :)



DA & I at Sunset Terrace - one of his favorite places in Thousand Oak

Wine, comfy clothes, couch, basketball playoffs & DA - perfect Saturday night

Sunday play date at Santa Monica Pier

Then we just sat and talked and got to stare at this :)

Tabata handstand holds during after school program with a student

Justin & Alycia talking to over 100 people from my box....

25 day challenge - Paleo eating, lots of sleep, WODs + rest days, mobility work - just getting healthier

Last Friday morning of PT - hopefully two more weeks -- still need a lot of ankle mobility

Track meet with my students in BLISTERING heat last Friday

Happy Hour with the work crew Friday afternoon

Xfinity Live with the original Jersey crew

Trying to bike or row 30 mins a day this month - so got on the trainer Saturday night and watched "Trouble with the Curve"



Sunday morning was started outside with sunshine & 2500m fun -- 500m sprints with a min recovery

Sunday afternoon I took the girls to the beach to play with Bobby -- then had a BBQ at the box to kick off our challenge!!

Now I am waiting to talk to DA today -- hopefully figure some stuff out.  Put out a bunch of applications so far, so fingers crossed for that! I'll be back to normal blogging this week AND I am officially changing the name to Lifting Love -- working on finding someone to help design it -- if you know anyone, let me know :)



~xoxo

M

Super Bowl Sunday + Fitness Recap :)

Happy Sunday loves! Hope everyone has been having a fabulous weekend.  I feel like this has been a GREAT weekend.  Maybe because it is the first weekend in a LONG time with nothing on the agenda really.  Like my "To Do" list still seems a mile long, but I've been chipping away at it so that's helpful.  Last week was my first FULL week back to the box.  Felt amazing to be back and in full swing! My body seemed to respond well to the two weeks off! Hip even felt decent this week and knee is good!

Friday night I did dinner with some of the folks from my box, CrossFit Aspire. I had an AWESOME time.  I know ya'll are probably sick of it, but I LOVE my box.  Seriously.  Best. Place. EVER! :) Yesterday was a GS meeting & sushi with Dollface before spending the rest of the day getting stuff done around the apartment.

Workout Recap

Agility fun :)
 

So last week looked like this....
Monday: CrossFit + Gymnastics (and my girls won their last game!!)
Tuesday: CrossFit
Wednesday: CrossFit
Thursday: OLY class
Friday: CrossFit (125# Power Clean - major PR!!)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: Run Club + Open gym (snatch work & the agaility).




Side note: before today's Run Club I weighed myself for the first time in AGES -- guess what?!?!?! I am down to 170# woot woot!! Hard work+Paleo+CrossFit+Running = SUCCESS :)

Today's Run Club was more a agility test + row challenge.  We did the course to the right and then did a row ladder
1min row 1min rest+5 push ups
2min row 2min rest+10 push ups
3min row 3min rest+15 push ups
4min row 4min rest + 10 push ups & 10 hollow rocks and then back down with hollow rocks instead of push ups.  Except I don't do hollow rocks right and they bug my back so I did sit ups and Superman's per the amount.  It was fun.  We did it as partners and so Jilly and I worked together. After we finished the row, Jilly and I went and did the agility run again -- it was WAY easier the first time then after the row haha!  We then did some snatch work -- nothing major -- I did get a PR -- I did 65# this week at OLY class (which was a PR and I didn't know it) and today I did 70# ....

then 75#! Woot woot!

OLY class is paying off -- things are starting to click.  DA says I need to get faster and work from blocks for a while. He's a mess -- no good job babe or I'm proud -- typical DA and how to get better.  That's the trainer in him I guess :)

Now - T just finished dying my hair again! Yay black! I'm going to get some stuff done then head to Jilly's for the Super Bowl! I am doing this fun #MilesofShame. You can get more info HERE. I picked the Ravens, so we shall see how that goes.

I still have to get my grocery shopping done and food prep before I can head to Jilly's...guess I need to know what I want for the week!

Planks are getting better thanks to #AbsbyApril fun! Have to get my #5bythe5th run in tomorrow or Tuesday -- can't believe it's already the 3rd of February.  Where is this time going? Plus side - 54 days to Cali to see DA :)

Who are you cheering for in the Super Bowl?
Are you doing #MilesofShame?

~xoxo
M

Garage Games WODs & Weekend Recap

Happy Monday Loves! Hope the start of every one's week has been fabulous so far!! Had a pretty good weekend! Did not get everything I wanted to done, but that is ok. Friday night was Disney on Ice with my Girl Scouts from school.  It was a good time and we had fabulous seats!  Saturday was full of CrossFit, errands, cleaning up the apt and watching my Bengals suck it up! Had a nice little back squat PR at 155#.  Was kind of bummed I did not get more.  We only did sets of 3 - we've been doing 3 sets of 4-6 -- you keep at the weight till you get all 3 for 6 reps -- well last time I actually squatted, which was before Christmas -- I got 150 for 6,6,4 so I surely thought I'd get like 165-175 for 3.  BLAH! Boy was I wrong.  First at bat for 155 I failed BIG time - went down to quick so got stuck.  Took double rounds off then went again - 1 & 2 were fine, but that 3 was a SLOW grueling climb back up haha!

After CF, I saw the chiropractor again - working on that hip. I always feel SO good after I leave there for like an hour, then it gets sore for a couple hours before I'm good again for a few days.  Left there and went to Camden for a Girl Scout meeting - we start cookie sales in 2 weeks! Left there and went to the eye doctor before heading home to watch my Bengals.  Now I was really hoping they'd have a good game and it wouldn't be like last year vs. the Texans in the Wildcard game...but the Bengals pretty much said "here's the game".  Sunday was open gym - Jill, Rachel and I worked on stuff for the Garage Games -- still freaking out. Here is a video of just us attempting one round of the first WOD --

 And yes, Jill and I were totally twins on Sunday with no prior knowledge of our outfits - she's my CF BFF :) So let's talk Garage Games WODs....(In NO particular order - aka we don't know what will be first, second or third yet)

1. “Stone Face”: Ascending Push Press and Kettlebell Swings. Scaled weights are 75#/55# and 55#/35#
• 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, 4/4, etc… total reps.
•5 Minute AMRAP

2. “Double’s To Heaven”: 1 Round for time- 200 Singles 63 Hand Release Push-Ups 36 Front Squats (45#), 50 Singles 42 Hand Release Push-Ups 24 Front Squats (45#) 25 Singles 21 Hand Release Push-Ups – Front Squat until time expires

•12 minute AMRAP

3. “PVC Mania”: 5 PVC Shoot Thru’s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20pZiKH2mJw) 10 Lateral Burpees over PVC Hurdle, 20 PVC Dips in the form of a 5 Round WOD

•12 min Cap

OK - so that video was of one round of PVC Mania - except I counted wrong on my burpees and only did 9 -- whoops. I'm pretty scared of all three WODs, not going to lie.  We did up to 5 for the Stone Face - about 2 minutes - my shoulders were tired. Double's to Heaven - we did the first set, 100, 63 and I only did 15 Front squats and was dreading doing more.  PVC Mania - 12 min seems like a long time.  Have to work on those skills more!! Hopefully I survive...that's all I want.  Andrew said just make your goal to not be last...sounds like a plan haha :) PS Andrew is here -- I can't WAIT to WOD with him!!

Last - I've been thinking about goals for 2013....here is what I have:

• Stick to my budget (including savings)
• Attend church at least twice a month
• Dine out only 1-2 times per month
• Start saving for retirement
• Volunteer at Crossfit Regionals (Attend Regionals if I don’t get to volunteer)
• Climb a rope

That's what I got for now. I want to set some goal weights, but haven't figured out what to set yet....I'll figure it out!

~xx
M

Santa Baby

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

So yesterday's post was a little negative at the start, and I am sorry.  After my post, I went to dinner with just Mama Dukes - was nice to chat and she made a good point...this is our "new normal".  I am not ready for that "new normal" yet, and that it is ok. One day...maybe, but today not ready.

When we got back to the house, Broski, SIL and Tank were decorating gingerbread cookies.  I helped decorate some cookies.  After Tank went to bed, I helped SIL and Mama Dukes finish wrapping their presents.  You can see Mama and SIL wrapping at the top -- the bottom are my two gifts to my SIL and Broski in their personal paper haha. Here is the tree with just Mama Dukes gifts to everyone under it...she loves Christmas and making the kids day.

At 6:02 - Tank woke me up - he wanted to know what time it was. I told him it was to early and he had to go back to bed.  He told me he was going to the restroom, but he really went and woke Michele up to ask if he could go downstairs haha.  She told him he could open his stuff from Santa but nothing else.  Santa got him a notebook full of wrestler cards - Santa totally knows him :) He is slightly obsessed with WWE and wrestling. He came back to bed and started asking every minute or so what time is it.  I told him to play on my phone till the Princess got up. Well she did - and she found her Mickey Mouse chair and she LOVES it!! Santa rocked this year! :)

Broski got a Manchester United jersey - and his Christmas was made!! He got a lot of stuff for work and he liked my UT golf polos, but this jersey from Mama Dukes completely made his day!! SIL - as always - loved everything she got! She hasn't said what was her favorite yet. Mama Dukes loved her iPod - I'm glad it was my splurge this year.  She def deserves it!! Tank says "EVERYTHING" is his favorite haha - but really it's probably true.  He got so much WWE stuff and lord knows how much he LOVES WWE! haha

This year was very different for me - the last year has been full of a lot of personal changes for me - more running plans, started CrossFit, started Paleo and now trying to make all of this things full time changes for the rest of my life. Yes, of course CrossFit had to come up at least once right?!? haha I didn't get much for CrossFit, so don't worry it won't be a lot - but I got some sweet new capris. If you know me at all, or go to my box, you know I LOVE crazy colors. Aren't they fabulous?!? I also asked for an overnight bag - Broski & SIL got me a super awesome one from Lands End -- they even had it embroidered with my initials. Cute, right? I needed a bag for just long weekends.  LOVE it!! I also got a Gamin 410 finally -- I've been wanting one of these for a long time so I am SUPER pumped for that.  In all my time at Fleet Feet, I never had one, but now I have one!! I can't wait to get to running - maybe this will help me get going again? Not enough for my marathon in 3 weeks , but for 2013 and my #13in2013 plans (post coming this week)!

I also mentioned in another post that I got a new set of stainless steel pots from Mama Dukes about three weeks ago as an early Christmas present.  Well I had also asked for a new knife set.  I've been needing a new set since mine are extremely old (from beginning of college) and I never took good care of them. Mama Dukes hooked me up with a SWEET set!! She also surprised me with new pyrex.  With as much as I am cooking these days, I totally need it! I also got TWO paleo cookbooks!! 2013 will be my year - I swear! And with my awesome company coming in a couple weeks - we will tear it up!!

 Nothing says Christmas without having some Ohio State gear! The best part is Mama Dukes put it in a box marked SIL - so here she goes opening up and pulls out a OSU shirt - instantaneously I say "why does she get OSU gear and I don't" haha they were mine! YAY!! Makes my day! I can NEVER have enough Ohio State shirts! And yes, I'm a brat I know! haha

After doing presents and fun, we had breakfast. Tank talked me into a game of life -- got dealt my actual life -- school loans, teacher for career and only $5,000 in my bank! After Life - we started food - I played with the Princess for a bit. Then SIL, Broski, Mama Dukes and I played HedBanz. Holy fun game.  We had a good time.  Dinner was amazing! I stayed pretty Paleo today - splurged with a waffle this morning which helped me stay focused tonight.  The night is now wrapping up.  We are watching G.I. Joe with Tank and Broski - well Tank is playing with his wrestling figures.  Princess let me put her to bed...we watched some Mickey Mouse on the iPad as we fell asleep! 

I am thankful for these moments with my family and especially with the Princess and the Tank. I don't get enough time with them.  Hope you enjoyed your holiday with your family.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to WOD and run.  We shall see.  I am staying in TN till Saturday to help watch the Princess and Tank since SIL and Broski work. Looking forward to the extra time!

What was your favorite gift?

~xoxo

M

And I Would Ride 100 Miles & End Up At The Shore :)

Today is October 1st...can you believe it?!? October 1st! I can't believe it.  This month is full of LOTS of fun things - I get to see Meg-moe, Nic and their family to celebrate Nic's new bundle of joy, Mom is coming up for a just us weekend, I have a couple 5Ks on the books AND most importantly is my Princess turns 1!!! I can't believe she is already going to be one! We had our usual Sunday night skype session last night and we (Mom & me) got to see the Princess take some steps. I can't believe how big she is getting and I can't wait to go home the end of the month and see her. Michele wants her party to be Halloweened themed so I've been stalking Pinterest and the internet to find fun ideas.  I don't get in till super late that Friday, so I am trying to find stuff I can help her make all night/early morning to get ready! I LOVE Halloween and having parties so I am excited :)

This weekend was my 100 mile bike ride for MS. The City to Shore ride is probably one of my favorite things I do.  I love getting to ride with Ro, her Dad, Paul and this year Paul's daughter.  This year was a BIG struggle for me. I think I am still learning Paleo and don't know exactly how to eat Paleo style that makes me set for such an endurance challenge.  I will figure it out though. With that being said - the first 40ish miles SUCKED.  I couldn't seem to get going, I felt horrible and was super dizzy.  We got onto the century loop and I was having a hard time focusing my eyes.  When we got to the rest stop - I got caught by the medics.  After taking my BP & pulse, they thought I was having a blood sugar issue so they made me eat. A lot of non-paleo items so I cheated.  I finally got cleared to leave the stop - the first 8-10 miles I felt like ass.  My stomach hurt. I had a little mini melt down - cried and just was ready to quit.  I was really having a hard time mentally thinking that I may have to catch a SAG vehicle. Mind you this whole time - Ro's dad is talking to me, trying to get me to smile and telling me it was going to be ok. If it was my legs giving out - I'd be more ok with SAG but when its something you can't control - I was pissed. I don't quit. And I really didn't want to that day either.

Now, two things you should know - A - I meet Ro's dad on the ride 3 years ago at mile 1. We got to talking and I rode the WHOLE way with him, Ro and Paul. I instantly knew that I really really liked their family. At the time I was with a different team but they were serious riders who didn't really want time with me.  When we got to OC that year, they invited me over for dinner and to hang out, and the rest is history. the second thing - B - I didn't train. Not one lick.  I had not been on my bike since the MS ride last year.  It's hard because in Knoxville, I ALWAYS had people to ride with and train with. Here I don't.  However, I have recently found a team that is closer to me that I can hopefully start hooking up with.

Now I told Ro's dad after my 5 mile cry that I was going to stop at the next intersection and get picked up.  Well when we got there, it was only cops and no MS people so I kept going.  The next intersection was the same thing and at this time we were so close to the next rest stop I figured I'd just go there.  By the time I got to that rest stop though, I felt a lot better.  So I said I'd aim for the next stop. Wouldn't you know after we pulled out - I skipped the next stop and just kept going. I felt great.  I was moving good. My legs felt strong. I could see and my head felt good. The last stop we all linked up again.  We had 13.1 miles to go from that stop till the boardwalk in Ocean City. I knew I could do it.  I was worried about the crazy bridges, but I knew I could do it even if I had to get off and walk the bridge.  I didn't.  I powered right up them.  I owe this ride to my team.  For dealing with me.  Having to stop longer at the century loop stop to get me cleared. I'm already looking forward to next years ride (and training too).

Quick Recap of September Goals

Fitness

 1.Run at least 4 days a week. This happened up until last week - took it off bc of bike race
 2.Go to CrossFit 3 days on 1 day off (may flux first two weeks of month due to HM program) DONE :)
 3.Rock the Philly Rock'n'Roll half marathon.  DONE :)
4.Squat September -- started with 5...adding 5 every day! Goal is 150 by end! Done :)

Personal

 1.Go to church at least 2 of the 4 Sundays. I still need to find a church I like...thought I had, but I haven't.
 2.Be working on the 30 day Paleo challenge through the gym. Done - some cheats b/c of races, but trying to figure it out
 3.Be more social nope - haven't done much haha

Blogging

 1.Write a post at least every other day. Almost - not every other, but def better :)

So....with that.... here we go

Fitness

 1.Run at least 3 days a week (one has to be a LONG run of 5 or more and one has to be Speed work!).

 2.Go to CrossFit 5 days a week

 3.Rock the Heros to Hero run & Vineyard 5K (maybe get one under 35).

4.Plank EVERY day this month!

Personal

 1.Go to church at least 2 of the 4 Sundays.
 2.Be working on the 30 day Paleo challenge through the gym (ends the 10th) and then transition to a more Paleo life every day.
 3.Be more social/gett out more

Blogging
 1.Write a post at least every other day.


~xoxo
M

Next up is....

Yes, I'm still slacking but I am trying. Sitting at my new Fleet Feet rightnow and it's nasty out so we are slow. It is one of those gray rainy days when you should be snuggled up with your favorite person and just enjoying the time and presences of the other. One of those days just lay and listen to the rain. Since I don't have a favorite person (and had to work ha) I am sitting here waiting to serve someone with my amazing show fitting skills :)

Life is good. Stressful but good. Looking like I will be at OMS again next year which is fine except the financial part. But I love what I do an know that there must be a reason HE is keeping me where I am. I just hope one day I figure it out. Been a trying summer between all the applying and interviews. If you know me you know how hard it is for me to do something with out major plans. I am a planner and like schedules and lists. Haha yes maybe it makes me a slight control freak, but I'm ok with that.

Moving is happening - and even though I have moved a TON in my life - I still suck at packing and HATE moving lol. Think I finally found a place and am hoping to go put my money down tomorrow. Looking forward to living by myself again. And the kitchen on this place ROCKS and I am hoping to have lots of dinner parties again like we use to do in the TN place :) That is all for today and I will update you this week on the new place. Snuggle up to the ones you love! Till next time - peace, love and hugs

So it's been a crazy week!! Lots of training, working but not enough homework. Once I finish this, that is the goal for the day! A GREAT work out & knocking out at least 8 pages of my research proposal. I'm on here first because I just read a great blog by my friend Carissa. First, let me say that her strength in Christ is AMAZING to me!! She is so connected, and that is what I am looking for. Her confidence is outstanding too! She is possibly one of the most BEAUTIFUL women you will ever meet, inside and out.

This week she had a quote up on facebook --

"A woman’s heart should be so hidden in Christ, that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.”

I have heard that quote, but had forgotten about it. And I think that I couldn't have come across it at a better time then this week on Carissa's page. I need to fix my relationship with Christ so that my only focus on a guy is my love, relationship and connection with him.

That's really all I had to state this morning!! I'm starting to learn more and more about all this blog business! Like the labels and such. Enjoy the day loves!