Tag: fitness

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

perspective

Dreams vs. Reality

2chicksandapen

Most people have ideas of some sort that float around in their headspace at any given time. Sometimes those ideas turn into daydreams or even dream sequences at night.

A racing mind can be a blessing for some and a curse for others. When a person can harness their dreams and turn them into reality, the magic happens. It often equates to what many refer to as success. Although everyone’s definition of success is slightly different, I will highlight a few scenarios:

One may dream of a healthier lifestyle and put a plan of action together to work hard and live fit resulting in their ultimate success. No matter how long the journey takes the person is chipping away at the success they dreamed about.

A kid may dream of making their first high school sports team as a freshman, or they may want to go from a nobody to a somebody on the social side of school. Watch a child. They are resilient. They will chip away little by little and they are not afraid to try new methods to achieve success. Their minds are searching for solutions and they are soaking up knowledge by the second. As adults we can learn so much by channeling our inner child. The curiosity, the fearlessness, the desires of a child are amazing to watch, not to mention most kids can be doggedly persistent. Kids are born sales professionals. What happens when you become an adult? Do you lose all those traits or are they just hidden in your dreams?

Another may dream about getting a new job. It may be a job that is more challenging, a bigger pay rate, closer to home, among other reasons. Once the dream shifts to reality a plan is formulated: find targeted employers, update the resume, invest in a personal coach, buy the killer interview clothes and practice to seal the deal. It may take one interview but more often than not it will take more than one. Still, working the plan makes the dream become a reality and there will be many learning opportunities along the way that may spark new dreams.

For those living the military life, a new dream may take the form of aspirations to become an officer and lead troops in combat or maybe even become an officer who flies fighter jets. Whatever the dream is, hard work is involved to make the dream a reality. The chipper list associated with these dreams may include prerequisites such as a college degree, a minimum age requirement, a vision or health standard, a proficiency rating on charting or maps, among others.

Dreams, aspirations, and goals all lead somewhere but there is a common denominator in all of the ones that lead to success: there is a vision that turns into a plan which translates into reality. The plan, if designed well and properly executed, leads to completion or success.

If you are a person who struggles with making dreams turn into reality, start small and practice. Rome wasn’t built in a day and time surely passes by the minute. If you never try to forge ahead you will always float in the same space of dreamland and that is an empty and lonely space for many.

Start with a small journal and jot down your dreams and ideas. Take one and form a plan of action, then see where your dream takes you. Sounds simple, right?

Simplicity is key and there is no better time to start than now. Dreams can never become reality if you never take action to make your dreams your reality. Be you, for you. Write your own destiny today and in the future.

Duplicating success is easy once you understand the basics. Dream big. Challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone. Exiting that area of comfort is part of the WOW factor.

Become majestic in your own way.

-KT

 

#KT #2CHX #fearless #dreambig #success #ideas #tapyourtalent #goals

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.

fitness and nutrition, friendship

Every Peach Has A Story…

2chicksandapen

My Peach(tree) story began in Atlanta, GA in 1997. I wasn’t a runner but a friend asked me to run the Peachtree. What was the Peachtree? Well it is only the biggest 10k Road Race on the planet. So I did it. No training, just did it. The internet wasn’t so big back then so I don’t even know how long it took me to complete the race. All I know is I conquered the challenge and moved on. I was a one run wonder.

1998 was a new year with new adventures and the Peachtree hype faded in a blink of an eye. I wasn’t a runner, I didn’t grow up in Atlanta and I just didn’t have a fit circle of friends who ran the Peachtree each year. Over the next 20 years, I climbed the corporate ladder, I had a few kids, I raised a child with health issues, and I worked hard at being a mommy and a wife yet something was missing. What was missing? ME time. I learned to prioritize and put everyone around me first, before me! I see this happens to many women (not men) but women. I had tried to lose weight in those years, I tried to live an active lifestyle, I tried and tried but I never made me a priority so failure was always around the corner. How could I be the best version of me and show my kids how to be fearless?

I had to reinvent myself. Some would judge me, some would defriend me, and others would support me. I guess this is where you really find out who your true friends are.  As I make changes in my life, I find myself seeking out new adventures. And with new adventures come new friends. I would meet new friends with similar interest and goals. I had always told my kids and employees that you become what you surround yourself with. And it’s true: spend all your time around negative people, you will be negative. Spend all your time around lazy people, you will be lazy. Spend all your working hours with those comfortable in dead end jobs, you will find yourself right there with them. This isn’t what I wanted in my future. So I changed my scenery. Slowly but surely. Out with the old, in with the new.

Fast forward to December 2015. I found a gal pal who was willing to work out with me consistently at 5:30am at a gym in between our homes. Why so early? We had to go before the kids had to get on the bus so we didn’t take any time away from our husband (hmmm) and then before we had to work (yes we had full-time jobs in addition to being full-time mommies). We pushed each other, we relied on each for accountability and we got in 1-2 hours of gym time 3-5 days a week. This was huge for us. But we were both moms just relying on the internet or friends for workout advice. We met people at the gym that marveled at our consistency and progress but we eventually hit a plateau. We considered kick boxing, a personal trainer, a boot camp but nothing jumped out at us or gave us a spark to change. We finally saw a Facebook ad for Crossfit at a local box for women only in a trial boot camp. We said let’s give it a shot. It was whimsical. We were not in the worst shape when we got there but we certainly were not near the cream of the crop either! And we said holy cow what if we never worked out before we came here? We would have died! Seriously.

For about 6-8 weeks we did core work, we ran, we crawled, we walked, we sweated and we lost our pride over and over and over again. We even learned a new vocabulary. A snatch, an immature squat, a Russian baby maker, and so many more. What started as 30 women got to less than 10 by the end of the time commitment. We were still lifting weights (not really) with a PVC pipe. Is that even a thing? Oh now what to do now? Well we could spend a good amount of discretionary income for the monthly membership and see how we fair. Let’s check in to see what the others are going to do as we liked some of the friends we made. 4 of us opted to stay and give it a go. We were nervous entering the regular class with the “big boys” who all seemed to be friends but we sucked it up and went 3 days a week. We got stronger. At the end of month 1, one of the girls dropped off so we were down to 3 but a new boot camp started and we met the ONLY girl in that boot camp, Sarah. She was just like us before. She really was just like us so we took her under our wings and the new foursome became the best of buds. We again sweat, ran, crumbled but we never quit. We never QUIT. We chipped away at each workout and we cheered for each other along the way. We all had good days and we all had our share of bad days. We scaled the workouts to our abilities and in time we earned our spot in the morning class. Shoutout to my WOD Goddesses below. These friends left the box for the beach this past fall to celebrate life. I remember one guy saying we (the guys) don’t acknowledge you (the girls) until you have been here 6 months. That’s when we know you are committed and are going to stick around. Did he seriously say that? How offensive! I guess when I look back, he did me a favor. He pissed me off so bad that I had to show him that was like flies on shit and I was sticking around and I would make sure the other girls stuck around too just to prove a point. HA to that one guy, SUCK IT! I/we are still here 2 years later at the same box and we are crushing it in our own way every time we come into that box. PR-PR-PR, some might say PR as in personal record but I say PRRRRR as in lady ROAR. Slay all day after you get your WOD in at 630am with the PURE DIVAS. Here we are with our friend #burchie who motivates us each and every week at the box and here at the race.As I reflect, we not only stayed but we conquered our fears and we slimmed down in the process while gaining confidence, friendships, and offering inspirations to others who thought they couldn’t do it. NO matter your shape, your size or your athletic ability, YOU can tackle anything YOU put your mind to. Weight loss, professional aspirations, workout goals, family goals, etc. The playing field may be different but the process is still the same. Commitment, goal setting, and achievement are all common denominators.  Check out the pre-race fun we had in 2017. So what does this all have to do with my PEACH story? EVERYTHING! My Peach story was revived in 2017 when a group from my Crossfit box started talking about running the Peachtree. I did the math and 2017 would be 20 years from the last time I completed the race. HOLY COW! I have to do it. I was feeling pretty good after being at Crossfit for a year and had dropped a good amount of weight, so why not? I got a few of my gal pals to jump in and do it together. There were about five of us who took part in it together. Each of us conquering our own set of challenges to get there and get it done. It was great. We planned for 2018 to keep the momentum going.2017-2018. One year of fitness. Can you see the difference? I can feel the difference. In my energy, in my clothes and in my mind.Now here we are in July of 2018. Life has been full of ups, downs, adventures and memories but through it all our gal pals at the gym have been together pulling for each other. This year there were almost 10 of us attempting to connect for the race and many “others” we knew who would be there racing as well. As I reflect on 2018, I see where I hit the 20 year milestone that has now started the annual event log for my fitness journey. This will be an event that I can continue to attend as long as my body will allow. I will strive to conquer the race and improve my race time each year. From mile 1 to 6.Because age is just a number and I am like a fine wine, aging to perfection. At almost 50 years old, I am now focusing on me. ME! I am committed to eating healthy, working out, and plan to enjoy all that goes along with living a healthy lifestyle. While others turn into couch potatoes at 50, I am working towards FAB at FIFTY. I am proud of my accomplishments thus far and I am excited for what is on the road ahead. I am sure there will be bumps along the way but hopefully this blog post will be one way to hold myself accountable and possibly inspire others who can’t see the finish line in their journey at the current moment. DO YOU, FOR YOU. It’s not to let late to start writing your amazing story!Go find your Peach story and live it. I am a Georgia Peach and live life to the fullest each day. I keep the negators away and find ways to smile each day even if it is at my own expense. Be thankful. Inspire others. Improve communities. #MiniMadness=doublefun#KTV #2CHX #Crossfit #Fitventures #PeachtreeRoadRace #GetMoving #AuthorsBlogToo