The Year of Me

On January 19th, 2014, I posted the picture above on my Facebook page.  All the comments and supportive words were so sweet and I feel very blessed to have so many positive people in my life!  So, why the "year of me"?  Well....obviously turning 40 is a HUGE milestone, and for some reason, it's freaking me the fuck out (sorry -not really-, the f-bomb came out quick this time).
All these thoughts are constantly in my head.....
The mirror just shows me "old".  I need to be better about balancing my job and family. I don't spend enough time enjoying life.  I have a son that's going to be in high school next fall.  The "11" between my eyebrows is getting deeper and deeper.  I need some damn botox. My body just doesn't recover well anymore.  My body isn't looking the way I like it to look - maybe I shouldn't have this next glass of wine. :)  My boyfriend is 6 years younger than me, so I will officially be a cougar *meow bitches*-  LMAO!!  ;)


The past 2-4 months I have been in a GIANT funk and no matter what I tried to tell myself, I just wasn't coming out of it.  Even the week of The Fittest Games, all I kept thinking was "I'm 39, competing against a bunch of twentysomethings.", and all I wanted to do was get it over with and be done competing for good.  I PR'd twice on the first day and I didn't feel that normal "high" you get when you PR.  Sure, I was happy about it, but it just wasn't the same. Then one day, about a week after the games, I had an epiphany....I wasn't doing the things I love to do anymore, I was just going through the motions and doing what everyone else around me was doing and it wasn't making me feel good mentally or physically.  I remembered the above FB post and went back to read it again.  It reminded me that I'm no bullshitter, so if I'm going to make this the "year of me", I need to get started!


I made the decision that after The Fittest Games, I was no longer going to "train" for CrossFit and most likely will never compete again - *I reserve the right to retract this at any time ;)*  I want to bring some of the fun back into my workouts, and in my opinion, doing a snatch or clean - Every.  Damn.  Day.  Is not fun.  I like to pick up stones, kegs, flip tires, climb ropes - all the things that drew me to CrossFit in the first place - and it gets on my nerves to have to "work" on things every day....sometimes I just wanna break a damn sweat and move on with my day!  Hence, anyone that knows me, or has worked out with me, knows that I like looooong and light wods, with 3-5 movements (FGB is a favorite of mine, so is Open WOD 13.2) and I'm enamored with Strongman.  Daily strength and OLY sessions, really bore the shit out of me LOL!!  I knew it had to be done for competition, so I did it, but it's not something I want to do on the daily, so I'm going to cut that down. 

With the decision to no longer "train" for CrossFit and just have fun, it also means I won't be participating in this year's Open.  If you read that FB post ^^up there^^, along with health, fitness and beauty, it also lists motherhood and relationships as two more things I want to focus on this year.  These two things are essentially what made my decision about the Open easy.  I feel like time worrying about my placement in a WOD, worrying about how I'm going to attack it, how I'm going to train for the week while I wait for the Open WOD to come out, is time wasted - and guess what?  I KNOW I'm not going to the Games, so what does it all matter anyway??!!  I'm not bashing the Open, I'm just not one of those people that NEEDS something like that.  It's not what I thrive on.  I didn't get into this business to compete, I did it to change lives and teach people about healthy living.  Sure it's fun stuff, but as long as I look and feel good, and am helping people reach their goals, I'm a happy girl :) Plus....I'm 39 competing against a bunch of twentysomethings!!! - There's that mind fuck again.....#itsonlyanumber, right?


So along with changing up my workout routine, I also made a change to my work schedule at the gym.  Beginning in January, I gave up my M/W/F 5:15pm class to take over the T/TH 5:30am class, so I could have evenings off to spend more time with my son.  Sure, it's tough to get up at 3:45-4am every day, but to me, it's totally worth it.  At 13, he wants/needs mom less and less, so I am cherishing every moment we get to spend together, and I'll have peace of mind that when he is older, he will know that his mother did everything in her power to be there for him when he needed her most.  I'll also be able to reconnect with some "non-CrossFit friends" that I haven't seen in ages, due to our schedules just not meshing.  I'm looking forward to talking about something other than workouts LOL!! And, of course, I'll have more time with my babes :)

What have I done so far to change up my workout routine?  Well, I'm glad you asked!  I like for every day to be something different and exciting, so I don't PLAN my workouts.  If I see the class WOD we have programmed and like it, I do it.  If I see something online, I'll do that.  I might even combine several workouts together.  I still lift heavy and go hard, I just also do isolation work and don't focus on OLY as much.  I have taken up indoor cycling at Ride http://www.ride-indoorcycling.com/ and try to do it at least once a week - it's like therapy, SO amazing!!!!  I have also recruited some of my members to kick my ass back into long distance running, and have committed to doing a 10k with them (gotta eeeeaaase back into it, so no half marathon's yet!!).  So far I'm loving all the changes and my body/mind are feeling GREAT!!!  So long FUNK!!! :)

So here I am...on this life journey.  Moving forward.  Doing what I need and want to do for me, my son and my man.  Because in the end, all that matters is making the most of every day and living your life to the fullest with the people you love the most!!

Looking forward to continuing this "year of ME" - I'll keep you all posted on how it goes :) 

 

Real or Fake?

So... there I was getting ready for work this morning, when something I heard on Good Morning America, really pissed me off.  At first I thought maybe the combo of getting up at 4am, only getting 5 hours of sleep and lack of caffeine were making me cranky.  Then I drank some more Spark and said "Nope.  GMA, you really made me mad!".  Here's what happened....

As I'm washing my face and getting dressed, I see the story about the adorable Amber Riley, who is on the show Glee and has just performed her first number on Dancing With the Stars.  WOW!  She seriously danced her ass off!  She really was amazing, just WATCH.

 

The GMA reporter then proceeded to talk about how Twitter was on fire and quoted one Tweet in particular.  It said, and I quote, "You're an inspiration to real women everywhere!".  Hmmmm...I'm sorry....REAL women?  Are you implying Amber is a real woman because of her fuller figure?  Am I not a real woman because I don't wear a size 16?  Am I not a real woman because I choose to live a healthy lifestyle and workout?  Strange.  Last time I checked, I still had tits and a uterus. 

Take a look at this picture I found.....

Maybe I should be blaming Dove for starting this whole "Real Women" trend?  Every single woman in that photo is beautiful.  Yes, the Victoria's Secret models are thinner, duh...it's their fucking JOB!  (Damn it! I was trying to get through this blog without using the "f" word. #epicfail)  So, basically what Dove is trying to tell me, is that in order for ME to be a REAL woman, I need to be a bigger version of myself.  What.  The.  Fuck.  That's just ridiculous!!!  Why can't I just be ME??

I am SO over the media and how it makes us, as women, feel so damn self conscious about every little fucking thing on our body!!!  I'm not as small as the VS models, but I'm not as big as the Dove models either, so does that make me a FAKE woman??!!  What a load of CRAP!!  Why should those women in the Dove ad be considered real, and VS models or women with an athletic build like mine are not?  I'm so confused, because I thought having a huge baby come out of my vagina was a pretty good indication I was a woman.  Weird.

I obviously have a huge issue with the use of this word "real".  It just blows my mind to hear it in that context.  In my mind, regardless of size....we are ALL REAL women.

#rant #over  #sorryimnotsorry

:)

Growth and Change

Last week I was sitting in the office, thinking about the "old days" here at CFRR.  Back when we only had one side to the gym, a boom box that played our music and we HAD to go outside on the concrete to wod, because there just wasn't enough room for all of us inside.  There were no fans, and we didn't use mats for our precious little knees, as we burpee'd away in the parking lot.  As I was reminiscing, I thought about my old 7pm crew.  Back before I was a coach and back when "The Sport Fitness" was just friends in a garage, gettin' sweaty (ha!).  Don't get me wrong, I am BEYOND THRILLED at the growth that CFRR has seen in the last 3 years, but with growth comes changes and, well...Aggie just doesn't do well with a whole lotta change!

7pm class waaaaaaay back in the day :)

Out of all the changes I have seen here in the last 3 years, the one that sticks out the most (aka,  irritates me the most) is probably THE most important one of all....Camaraderie.  Back when I was in the 7pm class, our warm up pretty much consisted of friendly, sarcastic banter, laughter and a lot of shit talking - all in good fun, of course!  Landon would give us the 3-2-1-GO and shit got real.  No more laughter, just hard ass work.  BUT -  and I want this to be heard LOUDLY!!! - When we saw a member of our class struggling, we encouraged them to keep moving.  If you were one of the first people done, you cheered and screamed "every rep counts!" or "Finish Strong!" for EVERY single person until they finished.  NEVER did we start to put away our equipment until the timer went off or every person had completed the wod.  We were a TEAM.  No single person mattered, we did it together.  Camaraderie is one of the main components of CrossFit, that I feel, holds the key to people succeeding or quitting.

OK, so let me get to my point about growth and changes....

We're seeing new people in the gym every week, which is a FANTASTIC thing!  But what's happened, is now you have classes that have been together for years, some classes that are almost all new members and other classes that are a mix.   "What's wrong with that?", you ask.  Nothing, EXCEPT for the fact that the veterans of the gym are over here in this corner whooping it up, then the new members are quiet and over there in that other corner trying to remember what the hell a snatch is!  It's like people have forgotten how to interact with each other or something. Yes, there are little cliques, and of course we all have friends that we are going to gravitate to and talk to first, but is it THAT hard to go up to the new guy and strike up a conversation? I don't want my classes to be like that!  I don't want people to just think it's all about them and the clock or being #1 on the board. It's about people with like minds, coming together for the same purpose - health, strength, mental well being, and well...just being wicked awesome!!

Let's go back to what I said about camaraderie being the key to success.  Let's say YOU'RE the new person in a class full of seasoned veterans.  You don't know anyone, but your coach, and you still have trouble figuring out what weight you're capable of, what the movements are, etc...then it's 3-2-1-GO!  You make it through the first 2 rounds, but you're beginning to fatigue.  Out of the corner of your eye, you see those seasoned vets finishing and breaking down their bar, while you're over in the corner still struggling.  How would you feel if you were the last one working and nobody gave a damn?  Would you give up?  Take that same scenario, but change the ending....Out of the corner of your eye, you see those seasoned vets finishing.  They take a few breaths and maybe wipe up some sweat.  Then they come to where you are...clapping, cheering, yelling for you to "keep it up! You're almost done!".   How would that make you feel?  It's a lot harder to give up when you have a team cheering for you, huh?

Does anybody out there get what I'm saying?  YOU could be the reason that somebody finishes, or the reason they even come to class in the first place.  If people feel like no one cares enough to give them a fucking high five as they run by, they're going to give up and quit.  Is being #1 on the board more important than encouraging another human being?  Take the 5 seconds, it won't kill you.

I'll say it again...CAMARADERIE.  Learn it.  Live it. And don't let me catch you breaking down your equipment before everyone is finished - there may be TABATA burpees in your future if you do :)

Reborn = Results

Me, Mo, Chad, Mercedes, and Lindsay.  Missing: Cory

From January 14th to March 9th, I had the pleasure of coaching 5 outstanding people through the 2013 Reborn Challenge.  This 8 week, STRICT Paleo nutrition challenge, is a great way to jump start your New Year's Resolution to get fit and eat healthy....and stay that way.  Learning to live a healthy lifestyle, rather than "dieting" will get you better results and will keep you from regaining your weight in a few months.

I am SO proud of all the hard work my team put in!  Overall, they lost over 38 pounds, 13% body fat and over 31 inches - AMAZEBALLS!!!! 

Although, EVERY SINGLE team member put in the hard work and really gave this their all, there was one guy who just jumped in head first and never looked back....Chad.  This guy started his journey in late December 2012, by signing up for Elements and then beginning classes at CFRR 3 times per week with me at 6am.  His positive attitude and eagerness to be better, look better and feel better (oh and also his upcoming nuptials) are what drove him and got him some GREAT results.

Chad's final numbers:

16.6 lbs lost

4.6% body fat lost

13.5 inches lost

 
Congratulations to my entire team and thank you for allowing me to help you!!!

Like this Page!

Back in September of 2012, I participated in a workout video for a new company called Fé Fit.  Every woman that participated in the video shoot was a mother and the company itself promotes good health, fitness, motherhood, and women empowering themselves to DO and BE the best they can be.  They have recently launched their Facebook page and have started to feature a different fit mom from the video each week.  Please go "like" their page!  They post helpful tips on balancing motherhood and fitness, and just motherhood and fitness in general.  Plus, you get to see pictures of ME hahaha!!  :)  Let's get them to 1,000 likes as soon as possible!!

My Jane Fonda Moment

So, as CrossFitters, we tend to think of ourselves as these super tough, awesome athletes, right?  I mean, I can deadlift 255lbs, Clean and Jerk 130, do pull ups, handstand push ups, etc....but last week while shooting a fitness video for healthy moms, I felt like a total weenie!! 

My call time was 9:45am, so I arrived at 9am for hair and make-up.  Thinking I was going to come in, film and then be out of there by lunch, I didn't pack anything to eat.  BIG mistake...I didn't end up shooting my segments until 3:00pm!!  Yes, they had craft services, but being my vain self, I didn't want to be bloated on camera, so I only nibbled on a couple carrots and some fruit.  By the time we started filming, it was clear to me that I hadn't fueled properly (DUH).  I honestly had no idea what I was in for...Seriously, TWO HOURS OF CARDIO - who does that??!!  I was thinking in my head the whole time, "Ummmmm, where's the 10 minute AMRAP in this f*cking workout?!?"...and that was just day one.  By the end of the cardio-fest, I felt like this, when I tried to pick up my legs.....

Since we ran over on day one's shoot, my call time for day two was moved to the afternoon, so man did I fuel up LOL!!  BUT....Day two was an hour and a half of lower body - WHAT?!  How in the hell did I get chosen for lower body??  I thought, "Have they seen these chicken legs?!" haha!!  I guess practicing 95lb thrusters and 24 inch box jumps with double unders and a row, a few days before shooting wasn't such a great idea...but in my defense, I didn't know what workouts I was going to be doing until the day before the shoot.  That WOD combined with the hip thrusting cardio workout from the day before, let's just say, I was a tad worried about how I was gonna get through this one.

So.  Many.  Pulsing.  Leg.  Lifts.  OMG, just SO many!!  But...I put on my CrossFit game face (with a smile for the cameras, of course!) and pushed through that baby!!

Aaaaaaaaand CUT (Aggie collapses, like she just did Fran)!!!  Wowzers....it was definitely time for some wine, I earned that shiz :)

Now, please don't take my hilariousness (yes, it's a word) and sarcasm as being ungrateful for the opportunity to be in a fitness video.  That's definitely not the case - I was absolutely honored to be a part of something that will help women stay, or get, healthy and fit!!!  Everyone at the shoot was kind, motivating, and great to work with - just an amazing, awesome experience all around.  It really made me realize that my body has changed completely in the last 2 years since starting CrossFit.  I'm not complaining, I just think I need a little bit of balance in my workouts - a little "old school" isolation exercises and definitely some more endurance - ha!  Oh yes, I can hear the laughter now from all my big, macho, CrossFit friends, about doing bicep curls and tricep kickbacks, but I don't care!!!  If I'm going to be in this business, I want to be good at EVERYTHING...it's just the way I'm wired.  

I can't say much about the video because of the NDA I signed, but what I can say, is that photos and an FB page are coming within the next couple weeks.  I'll be posting them here and on my FB page,so be sure to check them out!!!

Wedding Bliss!!

Every girl, whether we admit it or not, has, at one time in her life, dreamed of the day she marries her Prince Charming.  Then it happens....From the time that question is popped and the engagement ring is placed on our finger we go into "Bride Mode".  Location!  Cake!  Food!  Most importantly...THE DRESS - and what we're going to do to our bodies to get INTO that dress.

Pictured below is Christie, a member of my 5:15pm class, and newlywed, at her wedding reception last Saturday.  Doesn't she look AMAZING??!! 

Now, Christie has always done a great job with her nutrition and workout routine, but as every woman knows, the closer the wedding day gets, the more stress you have and the time you had for a workout is taken up by last minute wedding details.  That's why she decided to do the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge just before her big day.  This kept her on point, and if she missed a few workouts here and there, it wasn't going to change the way that dress fit :-)  In fact, the challenge helped her get to her "wedding day goal weight" (She is currently honeymooning in Hawaii, so I have to wait to ask her if it's ok to divulge that info!). 

I'm SO excited for her to begin her new life as Mrs. Horty and I'm incredibly proud of how she has transformed herself into this beautiful, strong woman.  Best wishes Christie!!

If you're interested in doing the AdvoCare 24 day Challenge, or just want to discuss it, email me at aggie@crossfitroundrocktx.com