Defining Moments

July has tested me. I turned 32, I bought a house (and am in the process of moving), and my grandfather passed away. All these things happened in a two week time frame. To say I hit my limit for stress would be putting it mildly. So even with all of my progress last year, in terms of improving lifestyle choices, my current situations pushed me out of my positive habits and I slipped right back into the comfort zone. And why not? I've had about 20 years of bad habits compared to a little over a year of making healthy and informed decisions. Add into the equation a heat wave for the summer season and it has been a recipe for disaster. It is too hot to cook healthy foods at my apartment, I am living half in the new house and half in the apartment, and since the passing of my Grandpa, all I've been wanting is comfort food and beverage. No I have not become a recluse hiding in my room with a bag of chips, but compared to the lifestyle I had been leading for the past year, I have been indulgent.

Therefore, I have to choose if I will let these situations in my life define me. I have to make a decision to get out of bed for early morning cardio sessions. Once the heat spell passes and we are settled in the new home, we have a killer kitchen for cooking delicious paleo foods. In theory, it sounds so easy, but to put it to daily practice after lapsing for many weeks--well, it is a challenge.

Luckily, I belong to a gym that presents us with challenges at different times throughout the year. Starting Monday, I'll be spending 6 weeks working towards the goal of #WhiteMountainStrong! If you follow my blog, you may remember that in the spring of 2012, I won the transformation challenge for women at our gym. Though it was only a year ago, I do feel that I am in a completely different mindset. Last year, I was working towards a bride body. This year, I am battling with home ownership and the loss of the greatest male role model in my life. I'll need all the support I can get from my friends and workout buddies. I signed up for a half marathon and a century bike ride, but even with those goals--sometimes it helps to be surrounded by people who are also working for a common goal.

I owe it to the man our family lost last week to work towards my maximum potential. My Grandpa was a WWII paratrooper veteran who married his high school sweetheart and worked without complaint at a paper mill for 42 years. He and my Grandma celebrated their 67th year of marriage in January while my Grandpa was battling his final stage of Alzheimer's disease. Despite the fact that he has been mentally gone for years, to lose his physical being was devastating. The things that I remember about him were his vibrant, youthful nature. He smiled often and put everyone else around him first. I know he would want me to be healthy, active, and enjoying life. So that is what I must do...

*In memory of Morrie Kane who passed away July 10, 2013 at the age of 91*

Gear Review: Women's UA Fly-By Stretch Tank Top

Recently, I purchased the Under Armour Women's Fly-By Stretch Tank Top and was thrilled with the versatility and comfort of it. I wore it to track practice, crossfit, and as a casual top for everyday activities. I'm sure I could also wear it for cycling as long as I had alternative storage for tubes and cell phone. During the hot 90 degree days we have been having lately, I found myself defaulting to this top often. I just bought it in two more colors and can't wait for those to arrive!

A Little Bit of Inspiration

I have been slacking in my blog posting again. I got a bit sidetracked by house hunting and working more at the restaurant on the weekends. Luckily, those things are calming down a bit and I wanted to share a blog post by my friend Sara over at House Bella. Her post is a reflection on her first half marathon. When she first told me she was training for the run, I knew she'd not only finish but she would do extremely well! Sara has embraced the Paleo lifestyle and is generally a fit and athletic young woman. I'm still finding out more about her strategies for success with the See Jane Run 13.1, but in the meantime, enjoy her review. Go Sara!!!

For a bit of added motivation, I finally committed to some fall events. The summer is going to be too much with moving and settling into our first home, but I wanted a goal for the fall. So for the fall I selected:

1. Seacoast Century Bike Ride

2. Smuttynose Half Marathon

I ran the Smuttynose course in February of 2012 so I'd like to beat my time for that race, but I'll need to step up the training as that was a fast run for me. My friend Heather has signed up for that race with me so I am giving her a shout out as an extra motivator. I believe my husband and my friend Melissa will be joining for the Seacoast Century ride which should be an enjoyable day of riding. I'll start posting training weeks as the events get closer. I'm still trying to find the best plans to mesh with my crossfit training as that is an integral part of my fitness.

Here are a few other blogs that I follow for inspiration/motivation:

Live Free and Run

Irongirl & Ultrarunning Boy

White Mountain Crossfit

What blogs do you read for inspiration? Please share :)

Whole 30 Take Two

In mid-April, I began another round of the Whole 30. This was something that I did last year just before my bridal shower to reset and focus on real foods. Take two was easier than the first round. However, I did find myself going a bit heavy on portions of nuts, fruits, and protein. I defaulted to some of my easy favorite recipes including breakfast egg cups, paleo spinach quiche, a detoxinista soup, and kale/mushroom stir fry.

Whole 30 can be challenge in terms of finding prep time to buy the groceries and cook the meals. But it is not something you can do well without the planning. I tried to brainstorm ideas during the week of relatively easy dishes to make on the weekend. I also needed to make sure the portions were enough to feed my husband. He did not do the Whole 30 but definitely ate most of the foods I cooked. We shopped on Saturdays if possible and cooked on Sunday/Monday. I also kept nuts, olives, pickles, and nitrate-free meats to snack on (did that a bit too often!)

In terms of exercise, the first week or two was difficult at crossfit as my body went through the detox stage. But after it leveled out, I felt incredibly strong and was able to Rx on some workouts. I picked back up with fasted morning cardio which I think had the most impact for weight loss and definition. I added in a 30 day squat challenge that I found on Pinterest and alternated between abs/chin ups during the week. And as I have done since last year, I continue to do 5 sets of 20 pushups six days per week. Recently, I returned to the GSRT track workouts to improve my running as that is an area that has been neglected over the past year. I have a desire to sign up for a triathlon this summer but house hunting on the weekend has made longer training challenging to fit into the schedule. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze one in fairly soon!

At the end of this Whole 30 (which ended up being 31 due to a road race on day 31), I feel clear-headed, fit, and healthy. The biggest challenge I faced this time was an allergic reaction to outdoor pollen. I've not had pollen allergies in years, but with dry weather on the east coast, my allergies flared up in May. I had to give in and take some allergy medicine and night time medicine to sleep. I was bummed about this because one contained high fructose corn syrup which is obviously not Whole 30 approved--nonetheless, I needed to sleep and it was a small amount.

The end results of the Whole 30 physically: 6lbs lost and over three inches gone. My clothes are fitting much better again. Emotionally and mentally, it seems highly beneficial to do this if you can make it through the first few weeks. I was able think more clearly and had more positive reactions to situations. It was easier to fall asleep and wake up during this time as well.

Therefore, I guess the question is not when will I do another Whole 30 but rather how can I make this a part of my daily routine? It is almost impossible to go to social events while strictly following Whole 30 (it can be done though!) so it seems keeping a short "cheat" window may make it easier to abide by the basic principles during the week. Knowing how much better I feel should be motivation to keep plugging away at the daily routine.

And so it begins...

2013 has not exactly started in the way I had hoped. I had high ambitions of jumping right into perfect bricks and participating in more snowshoe races. Although I have not been completely sedentary, I am disappointed in how the year is panning out. Nonetheless, now that I am into the second month of the year, I feel that I am getting my act together, finally!

The month of January was actually not a total wash--I completed 13 perfect brick days and participated in one snowshoe race in Hollis. The snowshoe race with my friend Alaka was enjoyable. Could I have put more effort into a faster pace? Sure, but it was really more about getting outside and having some fun! I had plans to complete at least 3-4 more snowshoe races but was derailed by our honeymoon in Jamaica and another back muscle injury.

Jamaica was fabulous and I'd return in a heartbeat! Mark and I did moderate cardio and lifting while we were there. I continued with my frequency pushups throughout that trip. Also, we participated in a variety of water sports including snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and jogging on the white sand beach. Despite a fairly active trip, I indulged heavily in delicious foods and beverages. And this was ok. After all, I had worked out in order to enjoy our trip. However, I had plans to jump right back into my routine/food plan as soon as we returned from our trip. But unfortunately, my body had other plans...

About three days prior to Jamaica, I strained a muscle somewhere in the right side of my back. I ignored it and figured I'd be easier on it during the vacation. I felt some pains during the trip but didn't push it to the extreme so I was able to function normally.

Upon returning from our trip, I went to crossfit on Monday. I'm not exactly sure if it was the overhead press or kettlebell swings that pushed the injury over the edge, but I was in a lot of pain that evening. The next day, after sitting at my desk for an extended period of time, I stood up and felt a stabbing pain that made it difficult to move and breathe. It seemed I had pushed my body to its limits and it was time to see the chiropractor. This is also meant some serious forced rest. Unfortunately, when I am not active, it is very difficult to maintain healthy habits due to boredom.I ended up taking a total of 8 days off with just a few low-impact elliptical sessions mixed in. My food choices during this rest period were awful. I still drank my gallon of water every day and had a decent breakfast but that was where my healthy habits stopped. I ate a lot of carbs/sweets during the afternoon and evening hours. I did not cut carbs at 2PM and had wine in the evenings. The result was irritability in mood, difficulty sleeping, and of course, some weight gain.

Last week, after 5 sessions with the chiropractor, I finally felt almost one hundred percent better. I went to three sessions of crossfit, completed four sessions of fasted cardio, and made much better food choices. It was so easy to fall into a pattern of poor habits and a much bigger challenge to dig myself out. I also started running on the treadmill again which helped me feel like I was making substantial progress.

Even though I started 2013 a bit slow, I still have plans to make this a great year for physical fitness. The next steps to meeting this goal are committing to some races and getting involved in some of the crossfit open sessions at White Mountain Crossfit in March! Additionally, I will plan to blog weekly as it holds me accountable. Finally, I will look to the people and blogs that inspire me: Ignite the Fire, Irongirl & Ultrarunning Boy, Live Free & Run,, Weaving in the Ends, House Bella , and of course White Mountain Crossfit..

Week of February 11th Workouts:

Monday- AM Elliptical/ afternoon xfit
Tuesday- AM run
Wednesday- PM xfit
Thursday- AM elliptical/ afternoon xfit
Friday- AM run
Saturday- rest
Sunday- afternoon run

* 6 days of frequency pushups 5 sets of 20

Closing Out 2012

On this last day of 2012, I am taking some time to reflect on everything that happened in the past year. What a year it was! The early part of the year was dedicated to planning our wedding and getting in wedding dress shape. I continued to adapt to my new position in higher education instead of teaching--which continues to be a great decision. In the summer, Mark's sister welcomed identical twin boys to their family in July! The remainder of the summer was all about wedding planning. Then, on September 8, 2012, Mark and I tied the knot! We are so grateful for all the family and friends who traveled from around the country and world to share the day. It really was overwhelming to have all their love and support. We escaped for a brief minimoon to Cape Cod and then the rest of the fall consisted of routine days of work and homework. I completed my first graduate business course in the fall term and it was very time consuming. I'm relieved that our weekends in the winter/spring should now be relatively uneventful with no schoolwork and no wedding planning. I'm sure we will find ways to focus our energies, but hopefully some relaxation will fit in as well. Of course, the big political event of the year was the presidential election. I'm happy with the results as the candidate who aligns (for the most part) with my beliefs and values won. No need to linger on this, but for that, I am grateful with the outcome. We ended the year with a quiet and pleasant holiday with Mark's family. We also finished off the year with a pretty vicious cold, so I am hoping 2013 will be cold free!

If it is not apparent by my earlier posts, 2012 was all about crossfit and pushing the limits in my physical fitness. I can't imagine my life without crossfit anymore and I wish I had found it earlier! I have plenty of goals for the next year which include learning how to do kipping pullups, adding substantial weight to my deadlift and back squat, and continuing to tighten up my core muscles.

However, as this blog's title states, I started in triathlon training. In 2013, I'd like to see how the crossfit training impacts shorter distance triathlon races. My goal is to participate in 1-2 sprint triathlons. I am guessing based on improved 5K race times last year, it will yield positive results but I'll certainly have to incorporate more swimming, running, and cycling. I was disappointed but how little I rode my bike last year so I definitely want to do more miles in 2013.

Finally, in the last part of 2012, I slacked in terms of eating right and completing my morning fasted cardio sessions. Part of this was I knew I did not need to wear a wedding dress and just felt like going to happy hour with friends on Fridays instead of going to 5pm crossfit and back squatting. I've paid the price of these decisions and put on some extra lbs over the last few weeks. Additionally, this cold set me back because all I ever want to eat when I am sick is chicken noodle soup, saltines, and orange juice. Many of my friends and family tell me this is ok and I should "give myself a break", so I did. And in the grand scheme, it is ok, but now the break is over and I need to shred for our trip to Jamaica in 20 days. I know this is not enough time for me to get into the shape I'd like to be, but that does not mean I won't try. At the end of the day I'll feel better for making healthier decisions. I have a pretty intense plan ahead for the next three weeks and I am looking forward to it! It has been several months since I've had a challenge or end goal, but now I have one to aim for.

For the next 20 days (and then for quite some time after Jamaica, as I plan to work towards another 150 perfect bricks in 2013), I have an intense workout plan that includes: 6-7 days per week of fasted cardio, 2 X 20 burpees every day, 5 X 20 pushups per day for 6 days (build 1 rep each week), abs every other day (adding 20 reps each time), lunch boot camp 2-3 times per week, 3-4 crossfit sessions per week, and a sprinkling in of snowshoeing and running. Of course, this is all important but it will be most effective if I pair it with a strict food plan which includes limited carbs cut by 2PM, 115 grams of protein per day, lots of veggies, and a gallon of water every day. This is nothing new, it works and I need to go back to it. So yeah, that's the plan and I hope I can stick to it.

Highlights of 2012:
-Winning the WMCF transformation challenge in April
-Completing a Whole 30 in June/July
-Weddings of close friends
-Continuing to acclimate to working in higher ed
-Bridal shower and bachelorette party
-Arrival of Mark's identical twin nephews
-Our wedding!
-Seeing all our amazing family and friends at the wedding
-Friends welcoming new additions to their families
-Trip to Cape Cod
-Holidays with family and friends
-Girl's nights with incredible friends throughout the year
-Mark's 1 year anniversary at his new law firm
-Completing my first grad business course

Goodbye 2012, it was fun, but now it is time for new challenges and adventures in 2013!

Oh No, Plateau!

It has been a challenging fall. After our wedding, I jumped right into a graduate business class which consumed a fair amount of time. In addition, I continue to wait tables on Sunday nights at Hermanos, Finally, the changing of the seasons and the lack of light and warm temperatures has taken a toll on me. Last year, I had just started crossfit and saw noticeable results. Since I am starting at a much better place right now, I have to work that much harder to get to the point I want to be. I've been slacking and I know it. My diet has been pretty good but cheats are slipping in more frequently. I still get to crossfit 3-4 times per week and I'm putting in a full effort there so I know that what it comes down to is my morning cardio. Pre-wedding I was religious about my morning cardio. I'd do 6-7 sessions per week at 40-60 minutes. I varied those between elliptical, swimming, running, and walking. Presently this has dropped to 2-4 sessions per week. Also, the key to that was cutting carbs by 2PM. Again, I am usually good about this, but occasionally I let it slide. Part of the challenge is finding foods that are convenient and healthy. This week I made a beef and sweet potato stew that is easy, but it is hard to compare that to homemade holiday cookies.

To pump myself up, I read some blogs on plateaus. This entry from Crossfit Fire was filled with helpful tips.

Moving forward I need to get more sleep, relax through yoga and meditation, focus on eating well, and find new ways to spice up the workout routine.

Now is the time to find some inspiration from all my friends who said I motivated them!