Tag: crossfit

fitness and nutrition

KT’s Week 10 or Weak 10?

2chicksandapen

It’s been a 10-week roller coaster ride already? Where does the time go?

As I rolled into week 10, I was exhausted from travel yet pumped for my competition. Adreneline won out for sure on Saturday morning but weakness set in by Sunday. Thank goodness for rest days.

Week 10 was a hot mess for me. I ate well and worked out consistently Monday through Wednesday, then I hit the road for a trip and packed and planned for eating healthy when I had access to my hotel stash.

Enter conference food. Breakfast was meh but lunches were high on carbs as far as choices go…well, high for carbs based on my eating plan. Then, flip to dinner and that’s a dine-on-your-own type of deal, but then you have peer pressure to try the local spots in groups. Enter butter, desserts, extra fat, more fat, extra calories that serve no purpose, and so on.

Fast forward to the scale. It is just not my friend today. Well, is it the scale’s fault or my lack of will power? Whatever the reason, the scale is up by week’s end. I am not a happy camper!

So much reflecting to do. Would have, could have. Should have. But yup, that time has come and gone and just as night turns into day I need to reset and move on. New day. New challenges await. New outlook. Reset. Repeat.

I shopped for groceries and everything fell into the clean eating category. Threw down the “no eating out” message to the fam for the week. See, anything is possible if you adjust your mindset.

On the flip side of the scale debacle, we didn’t finish first nor last in the competition. We finished about middle of the road. We didn’t quit and we endured some hard workouts. We pushed through soreness and we ate lots of bacon which always makes me happy.

We appeared to be one of the more vintage looking teams and that made us smile. Our sparkle-N-snatch shirts were a hit. We met some cute puppies looking to get adopted and we met some amazing people in between heats. Overall, it was an amazing experience.

Boom, there it is! Thunder I tell ya. My buddy Jim inked me as part of his #inktober illustration series. What an honor and privilege and it was just what I needed to reset my mind. A vantage point of me from another that I don’t see daily. A portrait of a strong and healthy badass chick. Yup, that’s me folks. Welcome to my world. Enjoy the glimpse into my world that I share in this blog. It’s only one tiny piece of me but one that is important for me to share.

Some may knock my motivational ways but others embrace it. Whatever category you fall into it’s okay with me. It takes all types to make up the world and I know I am an acquired taste. You might not have had enough of a taste of me to see how I sparkle in this world. Thank you, Jimmy. You put a smile on my face and you are incredibly talented. People please check out his art on instagram @jimgleeson. Of course, I am a little biased since he illustrated my first three books!

Midweek moves on to Halloween and how a little fun can improve your mindset. Wednesday Wisdom is don’t forget to have fun. Check out my Halloween pic from the start of this post. I am wearing my 13-year-old’s uniform so big score for Mom right there and boom! my 5am makeup was on point. Hope you all had some fun this week but didn’t eat too much candy. I skipped the Kit Kats, the Rolos, the dark chocolate, etc. I didn’t miss it.

I’m back to the grind of macro management as we approach the holidays and my travel demands increase on the work front. Discipline, dedication and consistency are the name of the game for me.

More trials and tribulations of KT to come. Keep following along and see where I end up next.

Adios for now.

fitness and nutrition

Chick 2 and the Birthday Burpees

2chicksandapen

This time last year, I was still pretty new to CrossFit.  So when I stumbled into my box on my birthday for a workout, someone told me it was time to do my birthday burpees.

Now that I think back, there was some snickering around the box that morning about birthday burpees.  But, I am pretty gullible, and I was anxious to be part of the community.  I also don’t like to seem like I am slacking or afraid of hard work.  So, I went over into the beginner’s corner (what I call the side area of the gym where I often retreat when I am doing particularly sloppy / awkward movements), and started at it.  I did them a few at a time, very slowly, spread throughout the workout, probably cursing each one, but I did my 44 burpees.  Maybe halfway through the 44 someone saw what I was doing and told me that it was all a joke.  But, I did them anyway.  Why stop part way through?

Here it is, my birthday week again.  It’s been over a year at CrossFit Pure.  My birthday fell on a Sunday this year so I didn’t have anyone to tell me to do burpees.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am working on health and weight loss.  I also have some challenging injuries that limit my ability to do some of the most dominant CrossFit movements (squats, deadlifts, etc.)  To be sure I am still getting a solid workout, I often add things on my own in addition to scaling and adapting movements.  At times, I challenge myself to do certain moves each day during a week as extras, like 50 sit ups, 50 slam balls, and so on.

During my Monday workout this week, I decided to do some extra burpees. Burpees kick up my heart rate better than nearly any other movement.  Monday was a shorter workout so I was able to do 50 spread throughout my gym time, mostly before and after. I thought I would do 50 each workout day this week. On the way home, I thought to myself that, given it’s my birthday week, maybe I should go a little bigger.

How could I challenge myself?  What could my birthday burpees be this time around?

So, I decided to go a lot bigger, shooting for a goal of 10 times my age in burpees.  So, 450 total for the week.

As I sit here on my birthday, I am happy to say I reached that goal, and even BEFORE my actual birthday.  I learned something each day, too.  Here’s a snippet:

Monday: The first 50 burpees, completed before I set the actual goal.

Lesson: Sometimes you start something without a goal in mind, then the opportunity to create a measurable goal comes to you.  Embrace it, and challenge yourself beyond what you think you can reasonably do.

Tuesday: Another short workout, so managed to add in 100 burpees on this day. I set that 100 burpee goal when I walked in the door that afternoon, given that the workout was brief.  Plus, I decided that if burpees were part of the regular workout, they did not count toward my personal goal, so I had to push myself on the days when they weren’t programmed. (We don’t see the next day’s workout until the night before.) (Total: 150)

Lesson 1: Set intermediate goals that help you along the path.  When you have the chance, take a bigger bite out of the goal than you normally would if you were doing the same amount each day.  You never know what life will throw at you.

Lesson 2: Making up my mind before I started also helped me push through the after workout burpees.  The workout we did pushed my upper body to exhaustion.  So, when I dropped to the ground after it to finish my birthday burpees, I laughed out loud since I couldn’t push my body back up.  But, I had a goal to achieve, so I shook them out, took a few minutes to rest, then got going again.

Wednesday: Did 50 burpees during a crammed schedule kind of workout, then 25 at home. (Total: 225, halfway there!)

Lesson: My schedule was off this day.  Arrived at the gym late, couldn’t do the programmed workout due to injuries so had to pull one up from previous weeks, had a doctor’s appointment just after gym, and so on.  We all have these days where it is hard to fit things in, but we have to do it anyway.

So, I did 10 burpees in the driveway at 6:00 am while I was waiting for my daughter to get in the car. (This stunk on concrete but I was SO much more awake on my drive!) I was at the gym for less than an hour total but still got 40 burpees in.  Then, I did 25 more at home that night.  Those were also awful since I wasn’t in my gym clothes and trying to do them on carpet or tile is just different.  But, I did them. Striving toward goals means doing things that aren’t ideal or just plain stink sometimes.

Thursday: Another 100 burpee day. Did all 100 before the workout. (Total: 325)

Lesson: Most of the week, I did my burpees in sets of 5, EMOM style.  (Every Minute on the Minute, do 5 burpees.)  I didn’t wear out too much this way. I just chipped away at it. Take bite sized pieces from your goal.  This day I did them for 20 straight minutes, since my schedule was off again.  (I don’t usually have this much time before a workout).  One of our CrossFit coaches saw what I was up to and said, “look at her, over there doing burpees like it’s her job.  Like it’s her JOB!”  And this week, it really was my job.  It was my commitment to myself.  It’s also so helpful to have people notice along the way and encourage you!

Friday: 75 burpees. These were the hardest of the week. (Total: 400)

Lesson:  What I dreaded all week happened Friday.  There were burpees in the workout.  So on top of the 36 in the workout, I did the additional 75 that I needed to do for my birthday goal.  I was so tired after a long week, hadn’t eaten as much as I usually do so I felt sluggish, had a busy day at work, and so on.  It was a true mental challenge to get through these, especially since I did all 50 after the workout.  Again, sets of 5 EMOM style.  I nearly cried about 4 times but I just talked myself through it.  It was a slog and a true mental test. I just kept focusing on the next five.  Thankfully, the end was in sight at this point.

Saturday: 50 burpees.  Mostly all after a challenging workout. (Total: 450!)

Lesson: For these, some of our awesome gym ladies jumped in and did them with me.  We all challenge each other at times, so this was a great lift (and an amazing support since burpees aren’t much fun for anyone!)  This also made me push harder, since these ladies are all faster at burpees than I am and were doing them until I was done.  So, my EMOM style meant everyone else was doing more! more! more! I had to do the last 20 without a break so everyone could stop!  This is one small example of how our community makes you push yourself out of solidarity and encouragement.

I was so happy to get over the finish line.  I screamed in relief and joy. I am so thankful for what this body and mind can do.  There were several times this week when, through the pain and “I don’t wannas,” I reminded myself to be grateful for the strength to do this.

Later that day, it was fun to clean up, dress up, and have a tea party, again with some of my amazing friends from my box. Then, family celebrations as well.

The big takeaway:

It was a week of CELEBRATING WHAT MY BODY CAN ACCOMPLISH at age 45.  Getting older doesn’t have to mean getting slower or weaker.  I can set goals, push through, and have people cheering for me and pushing me along the way.  It is a metaphor for life, goal setting, achieving, and setting new ones (which is what I am doing today!)

Maybe next year I’ll do burpees all month.  Maybe by then I’ll be doing my burpees completely correctly. Or maybe it will be something else that seems like the right mountain to climb. Who knows.  I’ll see where I am and set a new challenge.

This post wouldn’t be complete without a tip of my party hat to Chick 1.  If you’ve been reading her blog posts, you know that she is a goal setter and a goal getter.  I didn’t really understand much about making progress toward goals until I watched her in action.  She is a marvel in what she chooses to strive for, how she accomplishes it, and the way she holds herself accountable. I’m still practicing this whole goal thing, but her showing and sharing that process has been a gift to me that will keep unfolding for years to come.

May 45 bring all the growth that 44 did, and more!

fitness and nutrition

KT and the Blimp

2chicksandapen
OMG is she for real?

I got a new nutrition coach this week and WOW! She is gonna make me the Goodyear Blimp. Well, that is what I say now and I mean it but she tells me to trust the process. Hmmm. I am a rule follower which means I am going to trust the process but then I am also going to let the world know how it’s going too, from week 1 to week 12. Little does my coach know she is in the spotlight, so let’s hope she commits to me in the same way I am committing to her?!?!

185 carbs, 145 protein, 75 fat. Those are my magic macro numbers this week. What does this mean? It means I am counting my macros or macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat. This is just a way to monitor my food choices vs. counting calories or limiting my food options to paleo or ketogenic for example.

I don’t have any diet restrictions other than I can only eat what fits my macros for the day. This means I’m not on a diet. I’m merely working with a coach who helps me have a better relationship with my food which yields better food choices.

So if I want to eat ice cream all day, I can, but I have to eat only what is allotted in my macros! It’s easy once you get the hang of it but it’s not an exact science to figure your numbers so starting with a new coach is scary as we learn about each other.

I recently came off a cut period in which I had good results. My magic numbers were 150 carbs, 120 protein, 48 fat. Sooooo my new numbers are a lot higher. This equates to another big meal and I have to force myself to eat it. Real world problems, right?

So, I’m journaling my experience to maybe help others out there. Let’s see how this goes. 12 weeks of magic or mystery. Just hoping for 12 steps forward not backwards. Maybe if I am brave I will post pics at the end. #trusttheprocess #putinwork #consistencycounts

Just so you know, this is my second round with a coach and I am working hard to lean out my body to improve my gym performance and overall health. Fab/fit at 50 is my ultimate goal and the hope to see ab muscles in the future is like the cherry on top. But really it’s the process of digging deep mentally to get it done and the ability to continually reinvent yourself that I want to share.

As I wrap up the week, I did my hard CrossFit WOD at 8am then added some bonus abs work and headed over to a Pilates studio for another round of torture. When I was done my body said “feed me” and of course I said yes! I went to my favorite Saturday morning breakfast spot and fueled up. See the pics below. And note this food fits into my macros so it’s a win for me today.

Wish me luck and feel free to ask any questions about the process. I am sure you have read a bunch of times that I like to inspire others. So here goes.

hustle

It’s All a Blur

2chicksandapen

img_1924-2

Yup, this week was a blur. That’s all I can say.

Wait! I lied. My week was so jam packed and full of chaos that the week appears like a blur but it was, in fact, amazingly crazy good!

When I say amazingly crazy you might roll your eyes or say that just doesn’t make sense but in my world it makes perfect sense. You see, I run a busy household with three active kids, I run a couple of small businesses, I have a full-time career, I am a workout junkie putting in six days a week, and I write as in this blog or I’m working on my next book series and that doesn’t include all the Mom duties that are not really clearly defined on most days. Crazy busy, right?

The irony of my crazy blurred life is I thrive in the chaos. Some of my best moments, my brilliant ideas or my good fortune come at the most inopportune times. For some that is hard to digest but for others they see the effort I put in when most are not watching. It really is simple if you have too much time your mind is idle and it wanders. I stay so busy that I have no idle time, lending my focus to the tasks at hand which I dominate.

Here is a glimpse at my week’s fitness milestones that I somehow accomplished during my chaotic work/family/life week:

I did my first GHDs. And those glutes and hams were on fire! I was inspired by my gym pal Geovanna.

I ran a mile in less than 10 minutes which is indeed a PR for me….BOOM! I had been working up to this for a long time and I finally made it after my WOD when I was tired so I know I am capable of improving.

I started working with a new nutrition coach after taking a few weeks off on my own. Change can be scary but with the right mindset most can overcome the fear. I’ll post a nutrition follow up in 12 weeks with my results.

I mastered one-leg, alternating-leg, and double unders on the jump rope without any hiccups in transition. This was an amazing way to end the week. My coach wants me to work on this movement and I put in my tabata today as a start. #goalgetter

Just when I thought my workout week couldn’t get any better I opted to go with a friend to her pilates class after my Saturday morning workout that was nothing less than brutal. I didn’t think about it. I just went and did it. My body was fatigued but welcomed the change in movements and pace. After the session was done I can truly say it was amazing. I didn’t love it like I love CrossFit but I enjoyed the change of pace and my body reacted well to the change. #newexperiences

On the family front: this week I got to bond with each kid in their own special way. Each one at a different age, facing different challenges, yet they are all plugging away at their own pace. They are living life. One is in the athlete/boy crazy phase, one is mastering the transition to adulthood/working and one is honing his entrepreneurial skills and planning the future. All looks bright for each today although each has had to overcome obstacles to get where they are right now and if I have taught them anything, they know life will be full of many more obstacles ahead. Teach perseverance vs entitlement. It’s a much needed mindset in today’s competitive world.

Get it done factor: in addition to daily workouts, I unloaded two freight trucks this week to cover for the guys that were on a job site managing a large rollout for one of my companies. This got me a double workout two days this week and some shifty eyes for doing what is perceived as a man’s job. Hmmmm…some people sure do underestimate the power of a woman and I sure do like to point that out when an opportunity appears! #girlswholift #strongmind #strongbody

Girlbossin’ with some hustle flair is one of my favorite traits to share with the world. This is a lesson in small business: you wear many hats. This week I had to wear the manual labor hat and I rocked it, but sometimes it’s the technical hat, the collections hat or whatever else needs to get done.

A glimpse at the professional side this week:

I conducted a large webinar training on regulatory changes, trained an adult group on suicide prevention in person, launched a big project successfully, started working on a large RFP, and balanced all of the other mundane tasks that float across my desk in a regular week. My mental clarity and strong will helped me push through.

As I wind down this post, I will share that hard work pays off. It is pretty simple. When you put consistent effort into something, results follow. This simple equation follows those in business, those in sports, and those on a self-improvement track. It really is simplicity and dedication that helps overcome obstacles. It’s not being lucky. If you want to be lucky play the lottery. I put in work to see results, so I know I earned what comes my way.

Remember, you control your destiny. Only you. You have to be you for you. Nobody is going to make you successful. You are the only one with that capability.

Unfortunately, I see people each week who either whine about working too hard, not getting a raise that they feel is due, or just waiting for direction vs. seizing the moment and opportunities in front of them. I shake my head and move on. Until people see their value and understand how to harness their unique qualities they sit in a comfort zone, one which will never have them testing their limits.

Where do you fit in? Are you a mover and shaker who gets it done each day with self motivation and drive or are you a sit on sidelines and wait for somebody to put you into the action? One who needs to follow a duties list to be productive?

Each of the above has its place in the world, I guess. For me, I play to win each day in whatever game is front of me. Most days the game of life includes a form a chess, some bouncing around like hopscotch, some sprints, some team building or counseling at work and/or home, growth plans, and some kind of math or brain teaser. Every day is full of different challenges and that’s what I enjoy the most.

Just when the fun winds down, the pillow is not far off. Sleep and repeat. And don’t underestimate the sleep aspect. Getting 8 hours of consistent sleep makes the following day easy peasy. Your brain needs time to rest as does your body and spirit.

Not sure where to go in life? Start with a notebook and set some simple goals. Attain those goals and reach for the next new and more lofty goals. If you never hold yourself accountable you will stay in the same boring place in life and most likely feel trapped.

Get up. Get going. Create your path. You will inspire others along the way. And age should never be a barrier. You can start in your teens, twenties, thirties, forties and so on.

If this post helps you find your personal sunshine, drop me a note. I love hearing from my readers near and far.

-KT

#2chx #inspireothers #goalgetter #girlboss #hustle #hustleandmuscle #CrossFit #pilates #newexperiences #health #worklife #professional #family #mindset #productive #weekinthelife

fitness and nutrition

Bring the Heat – An Out-Of-The-Box CrossFit Competition Story

2chicksandapen

IMG_1074

KT’s competition story:

What a day. What an adventure.

As I blog today I am going to start at the end just like I did in our first book. Why? Because every ending launches a new beginning and my life is full of new adventures every day. Today I will share my ending in hopes I will inspire somebody near or far to start a new beginning of their own.

The alarm was set for 5:50 am but of course I woke up at 3 am and again at 5 am because I was so damn excited. Was I going on vacation? Heck no! I was going to compete today with some amazing gym friends at Bring the Heat #2 hosted by Knockout CrossFit. 

Now my journey really didn’t start at 5 am, it started weeks ago when I signed up for the competition and swindled a few gal pals at the gym to join me in my shenanigans and compete. From there we picked our team name: Dainty Divas. Of course there is nothing dainty about any of us but that’s the beauty of the name. And the name was inspired by a fellow gym mate Shane who said I just needed to be a little more dainty when I approached my handstands. Ha that itself is so funny that it made the name a must!

From there we ordered custom shirts because badass attire is part of being a CrossFitter and added flair by adopting a motto: “Hot Mess Party of 3” and proudly plastered it on the shirts. The motto truly described us to a tee.

Then came the preparation. Extra squats, extra miles on the pavement, extra weight on the bar as the weeks turned into days before the competition. As the days turned into hours we looked at nutrition options and how to fuel our bodies for four WODs in the same day. Water, healthy snacks, energy drinks, nuts and the list goes on. We planned, we prepared, and we conquered. I don’t even think any of us said we were hungry and we had zero desire to eat from all the hydration we did.

After checkin we warmed up for our heat in the ‘athlete’ section. Ha! I hadn’t thought of myself as an athlete since my teen years but if I am competing then I guess I am an athlete. I might have been in the scaled division but I was competing as an athlete at my ability level. I was up early and knocking out movement after movement. And all the while each of my family members were tucked in under the covers at home. They aren’t lazy but they are not committed at the same level as me to accomplish more than most by 9 am.

I am a reflection person, no doubt. I write as a form of reflection. I crunch numbers for a form of reflection and I use the data to improve in all aspects of my life. A nerd of some sort. As weird as it may sound I also love to reflect on how others around me fare. These are my observations of my of my teammates:

I watched and cheered as one girl conquered her fears of being out of her ordinary box for the first time on a stage where others see her, where she had to push her mind and body to new limits, and to just get it done. It was amazing to see her grow and smile as she did it all. She did it all and she did a damn good job. Burpees, box jumps, rowing, among other daunting moves. 1.5 years into her Crossfit journey and she has made amazing strides. A dancer in her youth days but now an avid CrossFitter. So glad to have her as a box mate and friend.

IMG_0978

I watched another as she competed for the first time after an injury. Could her body handle the stress? Would she feel as competitive as she did in past competitions? I am sure many emotions ran through her mind but all I can say is she slayed all day. I was next up behind her most movements and she was fierce, dynamic and just badass and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Every time I looked up the camera man was snapping away at her amazing form. From start to finish she put in work. I learned so much from her today. From how she moved the bars to how she transitioned quickly all while smiling.

img_1009.jpg

And then there was me. The almost-50-year-old CrossFitter. Two years into my CrossFit journey I can safely say I’m an addict. A CrossFit addict.

I mirrored my teammate before me as much as I could and I pushed my body to its limits on some movements more than others. I encouraged my teammates and I celebrated friends who came to support me in my first out-of-my-box competition. The experience was amazing. Nothing disappointed me and I would do it again tomorrow.

IMG_1172

The facility was awesome. The lanes were organized and the timeline ran smoothly. The judges were informative and the electronic scoring was on point. Then there were the value adds: the photographers capturing the moments, the overall CrossFit grind and the DJ getting the athletes pumped with the background noise. All around awesomeness.

Beth’s view from behind the camera:

Today was my actual one-year anniversary of starting CrossFit.  As I touched on in an earlier post, CrossFit has been a transforming experience for me both physically and mentally.  Of course, you might expect that I’d want to do CrossFit on my CrossFit-versary, and I certainly did want to attend a class and celebrate with an old-fashioned sweat.  But when I looked ahead at the calendar, I realized that a class wasn’t in the cards for me on that particular day.  Instead, I’d be CrossFitting a different way.

Today I went to support some of my closest friends at their first out-of-our-box CrossFit competition.   These girls have goals, and one of them was to start competing with teams in the region.

So, my CrossFit today was cheering them on, taking photos as they competed, and supporting them through the duration of their competition.

No, I didn’t sweat myself. But I did CrossFit because I cheered someone on as they pushed themselves physically and mentally, worked to achieve goals, and overcame obstacles to exceed what they had done before. And wow, did these ladies do all of those things! As much as we love to work out and the physical effort is common to us all, it’s the community that is also essential to the verb CrossFit.

So yeah, a sweat would have been nice, but it was just as much CrossFit to show up on a big day and support people who have pushed and encouraged me to get one more rep, one more lap, and exceed myself so many times this year. Just yesterday, as we completed Gator at our box, two members of this team were encouraging me as I pushed through over 200 knee pushups. The third member of this team was there to support me on my very first day of CrossFit one year ago. It’s only appropriate that I cheer for them on their big day.

As for the competition itself, it was exciting, loud, energetic, and pretty awesome to watch so many people who I don’t know push themselves to the limit.  I saw teams working together, encouraging each other, high-fiving, and doing incredible things.

The vibe was wonderful, and it was also inspiring to think of how many other people are dragging themselves out of bed or hustling after work to get to their box and do the same kinds of things that I do nearly every day.

KT’s final thoughts:

I have done 5k, 10k, and 15k races before as well as extreme mud runs or other adventure runs. All are fun and rewarding to complete but the adrenaline rush of competing in a CrossFit competition is like no other. Even if you can’t participate you should go to an event to cheer somebody on.

As I wrap up and head out on the town with friends I can say I had an amazing day and it’s not even over yet. I fueled my soul for weeks to come and I have skyrocketed my expectations for my next competition. I will continue to train and meet new gym pals who will inspire me to reach new highs and motivate me if I hit a low. As for the leaderboard, we didn’t focus on finishing in first place. Instead, we set goals, we trained hard, we put in the work and the results speak for themselves.

IMG_3740

And I said in our first book, every ending has a new beginning and today is just that. As I wrap up this amazing journey, I mean day, I will hit my pillow tonight knowing tomorrow the sun will shine and I will again set out on new adventures with whomever I interact with all while making memories.

Get out and enjoy life. Live fit. Embrace people and new surroundings. Get out of your box. Whatever box confines you, step outside that box for one day. Embrace the unknown and jot down your thoughts about that adventure. This may lead you to do it again and again. This is power we all have inside us.

 

Beth’s final thoughts:

The leaderboard, while interesting, doesn’t tell the whole story, or even the most important one. As you’ve read above, each of these women overcame obstacles to be there. This was a day of triumph for these women and this team. They trained, prepared, and executed. They achieved, even exceeded, their goals. It was inspiring to witness and I’m already excited to see what comes next. The close of one exciting chapter that launches them forward into the next stage of their stories.