Tag: partner

fitness and nutrition

54 Days

2chicksandapen

It was 54 days ago I decided to make a commitment to complete a partner WOD competition. 4 workouts. 1 day. Burpees involved. Running required. Two of my least favorite gym moves and both double as slowest movements. Nonetheless I decided to commit to the event and work to strengthen my weaknesses.

I started documenting the process straight of of the gate. I’m using my whoop to maximize my heavy training days as well as capitalize on days I need rest. So far the process is on track. I have my benchmark times for the run and I’m looking to work hard over the next 50 days to build my endurance and trim my run time while watching my heart rate. Of course I also want to stay injury free as well.

Chipping away little by little. 3 seconds, 8 seconds all adds up in time. Running is not my strength so just don’t zoom in to the picture, but of course it will be better as the competition gets closer.

Next weakness is burpees. I can do 5 unbroken. I can squeeze out 8 unbroken if I push myself. However, 9, 10, 11, and 12 seem like I’m moving in slow motion. It could be mental. It could be my lack of practice. It could be my dislike of the movement. It could even be my limited mobility. No matter what the cause or excuse I’m working on finishing 12 in record speed each round under fatigue! No small task, but if it were easy everyone would do it. At this point I’m consistent on my speed round to round. Now I just need to fine tune my movement.

While I chip away at improving my run, my stamina, and my burpee performance I just also need to loosen my hips and stretch for me to be able to break parallel about 60 times while throwing wallballs to a target several feet above me. Yeah me. Not sure why I sign up to torture myself, but I do.

30 days out. Jump rope is in hand to see how many I can complete in a minute. So far the consistent number is around 120-122. Finding a focal point, breathing and syncing into a rhythm is what I need to master.

Roping, I might even have music blasting to drown out redundancy factors that surface repeatedly in 1 minute.

In the middle of training I also have the pleasure of working through a knee injury. I’m not medically qualified to diagnose the exact injury but it was fluid around the knee. Uncomfortable. Limited mobility. Lots of Aleve. Ice. A little rest. Modifications to movements to keep the training going. The introduction to a new band to work on the problem area with tension was a game changer. A little pain never hurt anyone but high heels really were not on the agenda while I worked out my pains and inflammation.

All in all training was good. It gave me a goal to work toward. It made me focus on some weaker moves. My whoop helped me identify opportunities to add more strain some days or to train a little differently to maximize my overall conditioning and training. Managing my heart rate under fatigue to know what my body was capable of was key, too. Not sure what I will work towards after this competition but it will be something to feed my hunger for training and competition.

As an added bonus I had a 12-pound personal best on my bench press mid-training. Must be all the burpees and push ups I added into to my training. Crossover benefits are a bonus no matter how you look at it. 142 pound bench press for the gold star today.

Look for the results of the competition in the coming days if I desire to write about it.

3Splitz Farm, hustle

In My Eyes

2chicksandapen

You can see it in my eyes. You can hear the excitement in my voice. You can smell my desire or maybe it’s the stink of sweat from a day on the farm. You can follow my passion to the north Georgia Mountains.

I love my days on the farm. The time away from the noise of day to day life. A slower pace day in rustic paradise. It doesn’t matter if I’m working in the fields, cleaning the cabin or feeding an animal. It’s all therapeutic. Just as much as I love my chores I am thrilled about writing farming books and sharing farm stories with the world. There are many stories to tell from vantage points many will never experience in person. 

Having the opportunity to share my experiences is something I don’t take lightly. I consider it a huge honor and privilege. Whenever I have a hunger for knowledge I look to books and tools online. Sometimes these tools don’t exist. For me, it’s an opportunity to fill a void from a new set of female farming eyes. 

Amidst a pandemic, it all began in the blink of an eye. When many were frozen in time, my mind was dancing. The mind dance was a competitive chess game, a disco dance off, a game of pac man, and a cloggoff all at once firing away in my mind. When the mind dance was over a launchpad surfaced with two of my favorites. We would in-turn become a trio taking on the farming world in small town USA.

A dream. A vision. A plan. That was just the beginning. Then came the hard work. The dirty jobs. The renovations. The animals. The time. The digging. The negotiations. The sourcing of supplies. The legal crap. The planting. The waiting. The problems. The headaches. The stress. The failures. The redos. The never agains. The road blocks. I mean we did buy 15 acres of possibilities. We didn’t buy an operation already in existence. We bought dirt. The basic of basic. Hence the dirt to dream phrase I may have mentioned before.

A journey. A finely tuned process. A pristine product. A brand. That’s where we are today. Cultivating the land. Building the brand. Telling everyone about it. How much pride is involved in all we do oozes from our pores. We are blossoming and building a strong foundation for the years to come. We have our fan club rooting for us, but we can’t overlook the negatory. The ones who say why? No you can’t! Don’t do it! You’re crazy! Many fear change. Not me. I embrace it. Change is good. It spurs growth.

From day one to now. Pride beams from every item that breathes new life on our land. A flower. A tree. An animal. A vegetable. No matter what it is, we find joy in it all. We are not shy about it either. We share our passions with friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and anyone who is curious about farm life. Many listen with curiosity. Some pass judgment.

Every product. Every service. Every detail. All designed with purpose. Deeply rooted with family ties, traditions, collaborations, and so much more. We often call it our way. The 3Splitz way. We will Never be perfect at what we do but we will always be perfecting our processes to become better than the year before. 2020 is in our rear view. 2021 is front and center. 2022-2024 is all mapped out.

The picture below is a full circle view of progress. An old picture with the classic flower truck, flowers for sale sign and the barn in background hangs proudly in our farm cabin. Inspiration from near and far. Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue. We made this just for you! 

Present day blooms hand picked and ready for delivery to some special ladies are angled next to the old photo. Just below the flowers you should note the 1965 Chevy C10 classic delivery vehicle that showcases our beautiful flowers in grand fashion. A fine example of hard work, patience and visualization.

A dream is all it takes to start the motion. Infinite opportunities exist for any soul daring enough to turn their dreams into reality. I call this hope and desire. Add a little elbow grease and a good attitude and you have a winning combination.

Reality begins with a vision. A plan follows. The plan will always take hard work. The plan will always include mistakes. The key to continually moving forward is to always learn from mistakes and celebrate the opportunity to get better.  From here one needs to be persistent and consistent. 

Keep an eye on 3Splitzfarm. It’s blossoming as year two of the project begins to unfold. Bigger. Better. Bolder. Beauty is on the horizon. Blooms of many colors. Blooms as unique the the 3Splitz founders.  

As a visionary I can definitely say the sky is the limit for 3Splitz Farm. Adventures await. Be sure to follow @3Splitzfarm on Instagram to keep up with all the happenings in and around the farm. 

Time to go put on my overalls and boots. It’s snake season. Eeewww!

friendship

The Athletic Supporter

2chicksandapen

Sometimes I come along for the ride. Someone asks me to be there when they have a big day. When they’re competing.

For this enneagram 2, a helper at heart, this is music to my ears. I live for these moments! Put me in, coach! Some might ask, what do you do all day at CrossFit competition if you’re not competing? Why spend weekends sitting in sweltering lacrosse tents at far flung venues? What do you do with all the down time? Why are you there?

Lots of reasons, really. Here’s just a few.

I’m there to cheer. I’m there to take photos of moments big and small. To capture the day so you can see how amazing you are.

To be a clothes hanger for wardrobe shedding right before the big moment, to carry the bandaids and tylenol, to bring the good snacks and the right color gatorade, to apply the oils to aching muscles.

To provide chairs and blankets and hats. Or sunscreen and water and sunglasses, depending on the season. And umbrellas, always umbrellas.

I am a holder of phones, a fetcher of things from the car when you don’t want to get up from your seat. I am the scouter of porta-potties, or just going along for moral support. I am the counterbalance for quad stretches.

I am the bringer of cupcakes for birthdays or Galentine’s day or just because you like cupcakes. Or bagels. Or whatever you like. I am the maker of signs and shaker of pom poms when the need arises. I am a surprise engineer.

Need scissors? No problem. Sanitizer? Got it. Extra socks or tank top or leggings? Check, check, and check. Plates, spoons, knives, paper towels, Everything but the Bagel on cucumbers? Of course!

Sometimes I am screaming, to be that voice of encouragement you hear above the voice in your head. Sometimes I am wrapping you up in a blanket, hugging you and walking you around in the parking lot as your body temperature and heart rate come down. Sometimes I’m just here to listen to what it was like for you, in that moment. What went wrong, what felt good. The lucky sounding board for all of it.

I’m there for the podium pictures and the postgame meal. For the high fives and the hell yeahs.

Still, some of the most important parts of my day are spent in silence, just witnessing your efforts and achievements. Seeing any moments of doubt and staring at you until you look over and see me, telling you with my eyes, you got this. I believe in you. Being a part of it is amazing. Sharing in the memories, the “team mom” as someone recently said. To be a part of supporting someone I care for deeply. This is my purpose.