14 Day Firm Up

Our wedding is only 15 days away! It is hard to believe that after 7 1/2 years, Mark and I will finally tie the knot. While I am really looking forward to the day, I recognize that I need to approach my workouts and meal plans with even more intensity over the next two weeks in order to not fall back into bad habits. So, in search of some inspiration, I browsed Pinterest and stumbled upon the "Reasons to Be Fit" blog and found exactly what I was looking for. Everyone has a unique reason for maintaining their fitness and that was refreshing to see. When I am at crossfit, I also find every member of the gym has a specific reason for being there and working hard. I am posting the reason I related with the most recently :)

I frequently use running, crossfit, yoga, and other forms of exercise to alleviate stress or find a way to organize my thoughts. If I am annoyed or frustrated, I try to get in a set of pushups. These are times where I feel driven, focused, and calm. I actually felt a bit of peace yesterday when I did 400 meters of walking lunges because it did not involve any wedding details. My reasons to be fit are to be confident, healthy, and happy.

On another note, I completed my 5 rep max sumo deadlift @ 200lbs on Wednesday. It took 9 months of lifting to get to this weight so I am definitely psyched! I thought Jon might go easy on my conditioning workout after that, but instead he had me do the 400 meters of walking lunges followed by a 400 meter sprint. When he said the 400 meters of lunges, I was immediately filled with some trepidation. I remembered when I was 18 and on the novice crew team. We had to do that very same workout and the next day I could not even walk! Luckily, all the strength I have built up this year prevented that catastrophe from happening again! This morning, I woke up and went for a 4 mile run. It was not the fastest run, but I got it done.

Tomorrow starts my two week firm up challenge. The focus will continue on morning fasted cardio, weight focused crossfit, and healthy/paleo meals.

"Nothing and no one can make you happy until you alone make you happy."

150 Bricks!

Last Wednesday, I finally hit my 150th brick day! Back in late January (as part of the transformation challenge), I decided to commit to completing 150 bricks before my wedding and here I am just 26 days away from the big day and I have crossed another item off my list.

So what exactly is this brick idea all about? Check out Johnny Pain's blog post. I had a fairly specific day in mind when I determined what a perfect brick day would look like. It consists of fasted morning cardio for 40-60 minutes, healthy meals, carbs (except veggies) cut by 2PM, frequency method pushups throughout the day, 1 gallon of water, and crossfit on scheduled days. Yep, I did this for 150 days! Now, I did not do it consecutively as I had the occasional "cheat day" mixed in, but I think 150 perfect brick days since the end of January is solid! Is there room for improvement? Absolutely, but I thought this was a noteworthy accomplishment to include on the blog.

August has already proven to be a challenge as I knew it would be. With more vacation days and the wedding fast approaching, the desire to maintain all that I have accomplished can be daunting. Happy hour after work is far more tempting than going to the gym in the humidity. The cookouts, bbqs, and concerts are all very enticing. After hitting 150 bricks, it is easy to say that a few breaks are OK, but I know what that means for me. I do not need August to catch up to me the way it has in the past, so this morning I cooked up a storm in order to have plenty of healthy food choices for the week. I signed up for a 10K to have a goal for September. Dinner tonight was delicious: grilled chicken with pesto-paleo mayo, roasted beets, sauteed brussel sprouts, and some baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon and ghee. For dessert, I had some coconut butter with coconut flakes, almonds, and cocoa powder.

Hopefully I can use my more intense weight training program, 10K, and wedding dress as the ultimate motivation to stay on track!

How do you maintain when you have hit your goals?

Whole 30

My Whole 30 experience has been filled with discovery, understanding, and tests of willpower. I've struggled with how to properly fuel my body since I was very young. When I started participating in triathlons a few years ago, I did not adjust my food choices and I added in a lot of "sports nutrition" products such as gels, protein bars, and energy drinks. I assumed since I was working out so much, I could have as much as I wanted. Add in stress and a job that was all consuming and it was the perfect recipe for where I found myself last summer. I had constant heartburn and stomach issues. Also, I was carrying around extra lbs that were physically and mentally weighing me down during races.

Then last July, I landed a new job, quit teaching, got engaged, and finally found enough time to focus on health and wellness. I started my crossfit journey in November and didn't look back. I signed up for the transformation challenge and in 14 weeks, I had indeed transformed my body. However, that ended in April and my wedding is in September. I knew that even though my body may have changed, I still had to deal with the emotional part of my eating habits or I would just fall back to my old ways. Knowing that summer is always my difficult season (think Sangria, frozen yogurt, cookouts, weddings, etc.), I decided it was the perfect time to try the Whole 30 program. On June 25th, I made the commitment to eliminate dairy, legumes, grains, and sugar (except a bit in fruit) for 30 days cold turkey with no "cheat day." I had never tried anything quite this strict and thought I'd be hungry all the time.

Not to "sugar coat" things, I did have some awful headaches in week 1 from sugar withdrawal. It is kind of scary that something has that much control over your body! But those wore off as my body adjusted to the change. Also, I did feel quite tired in the second week, but gradually I gained back my strength and my body responded extremely well to the changes. I had only one instance of heartburn in the 30 days and that was associated with a yucky case of food poisoining that I think I got from undercooking a piece of salmon--I will not be using that recipe again!

Overall, my general observations about the Whole 30 are as follows:

1. I eat so much more throughout the day!
2. Breakfast is my favorite meal (Recipe fav = baked sweet potato egg cups & a piece of organic uncured turkey bacon)
3. Veggies have become a much more important part of my everyday meals (kale, carrots, spinach, and mushrooms are staples)
4. Going to the Farmers Market is so much better than the grocery store
5. The A Market in Manchester has the best selection of hard to find items such as coconut aminos, coconut butter, and organic meats
6. I have not mastered the pre-workout snack piece in order to have enough energy for heavy lifting, so I am still trying to find the right balance
7. The items I removed from my diet for 30 days clearly had been having some negative effects, now to figure out which things were the culprits!
8. It served as a great reset for my body and I will definitely try this again
9. I enjoy cooking more than I thought I would
10. In general I became so much more aware of when/why I craved certain things (stressful day at work = desire for a bag of chips, boredom = wanting something salty)
11. I was relying too heavily on some of my energy supplements to get an unnatural boost, (gels, pre-workout energy drinks)
12. I don't miss a lot of the foods that I cut, surprisingly
13. My skin cleared completely (not that I had major issues, but it is noticeably clearer)
14. I did not have colds/flu/allergy issues
15. My sleeping improved


So what happens after the Whole 30? I would really like to keep my weekly menu using Whole 30 foods. I actually enjoy a lot of the foods and snacks--dates and macademia nuts are some favorites! I might allow myself a few cheats (Bridal shower/bachelorette are fast approaching!), but I can't imagine why I would go back to a lifestyle that my body clearly was not tolerating. I think the most powerful thing that I take away from this experience is that I can say no to foods that my body does not need no matter the circumstance. I did not even have dessert on my birthday or cake at my work bridal shower. I got a lot of the "you're crazy" statements, but I just shrugged those off. I think it is something I will try to follow as often as possible.

In addition to the food adjustments, I tried out Bikram yoga again this July. I really don't enjoy it, but I LOVE how I feel after. And it does get easier each week...I may give it another shot in the winter. It was quite torturous attending Bikram sessions on days that were 90+ degrees and humid. Nonetheless, the health benefits of this practice seem to be worth the effort.

The Stats:

Inches Lost= 9.75 total inches
Lbs Lost= 8.4lbs (putting me just below where I was at the end of the challenge)

Perfect Bricks since January 2012 = 146! (4 more until 150 perfect bricks!
Frequency pushups are up to 5 sets of 30 for 6 days a week
Fasted Cardio = 6 days per week
Bikram yoga 2 X per week

Summer Is Here!

It is no secret that I LOVE summer. The sun, warm temps, beach days, excuses just to walk around--everything is better in the summer. I stored up my vacation days and am approaching the months where I have 3-4 day work weeks and it is exciting! I also tend to get a bit lazy about focusing on what I eat during the summer because it is just so easy to have a frozen yogurt or iced chai. Not this summer (at least not the whole summer!)....I have a plan...



Our wedding is quickly approaching--we only have about 2 months left to finish planning. Part of my plan is to be all toned up for my final dress fitting--so, I decided to take some action. I will continue with crossfit 3 times per week, fasted cardio 6-7 days per week, and continue to layer in some midday workouts. In addition, I am going to use Bikram yoga for a few of my fasted cardio workouts. I am still working on frequency method pushups and am up to 5 sets of 26 pushups per day. Next week, I will go to my first Bikram workout in close to a year, so I am really looking forward to getting back into that. Mark got me a pass at a charity auction for a month quite some time ago, now I have an opportunity to use it!



The last, and probably most important thing that I am going to focus on is getting the right nutrition. I am focusing on resetting my body through the Whole 30 program. Now, those who know me well know that I've been pretty focused on eating better since November. I usually cut carbs by 2PM and only indulge in a 12-24 hour "cheat day," Nonetheless, I want to see if eliminating sugar and dairy completely will improve some of the lingering stomach issues I've had over the last few years. It's worth a try for 30 days anyway! I'm also looking to gain improved energy levels for the lifting and cardio.

I'm certainly not going to document every day and everything that I consume because it isn't necessary and would be very tedious. However, I will do an overview of Day 1 and see where I stand by day 30. I did want to include what my day 1 looked like though just in case anyone else is considering the program. Several of my crossfit friends are also joining in so it will be nice to have moral support. Lifestyle changes are always easier when the people around you are supportive!

Day 1 of the Whole 30:

-1 Gallon + of water throughout the day
-Frequency pushups 5 X 26 throughout the day
-AM fasted cardio at 5:30AM (40 minutes elliptical)
-Breakfast at 7:00AM = Baked Egg & Sweet Potato nest with a slice of nitrate free, organic bacon cooked in a bit of coconut oil
-Snack around 9AM- Sea Snax
-Snack at 11:30AM- 1/2 serving roasted sage chicken & 1 serving of walnuts
-Boot Camp at 12:15-12:45
-Post workout "Bonus Meal" = Cherry Pie Larabar
-Lunch at 1:30PM = homemade tuna, apple, paleo mayo, walnut salad served over organic spinach
-Afternoon snack at 4:15PM (also my pre-workout meal) = serving of macadamia nuts & 1/2 serving of organic turkey slices
-Crossfit workout at 5:00PM (Press, chins, and conditioning)
-Post-workout "Bonus Meal" = serving of roasted golden beets & small slice of coconut, spinach, and mushroom quiche
-Dinner at 7:45PM = marinated organic chicken kabobs with cherry tomato, mushroom, and red pepper & boiled beet greens & avocado slices
-After dinner snack at 8:30PM = a few small pieces of roasted sage chicken
-Tea time at 10:00PM- Vanilla sleepytime herbal tea

The morning seemed a bit sparse on food, but after that, I felt like I had more than enough! I really enjoyed the egg/sweet potato nests--yum! The chicken kabobs for dinner were also delish.



So there you have it--one day on the Whole 30. Stay tuned to see what happens or better yet, try it out!

May Wrap Up

After the fourteen week challenge, I took a bit of a break from blogging, but not from working out! I managed to catch a bit of a cold after the final week of the transformation, but a week later I had recovered.

So what have I been doing the past month???


On May 5th, I completed my first 5K race since 2010 and it was my fastest 5K ever!!! The Ironheart 5K was a nice loop around Rollins Park/Concord area and I ran that with some of my crossfit friends. Then, on May 20th, I PRed on my second 5K of the season; I am convinced that I can do better if I sign up for another race this year.

May also was the first month I got out on the road bike and my legs were so much stronger than last year. My first ride up Oak Hill was much easier than last year. I am lighter and stronger which is a great combination on a road bike!

Also, I continue to work on my frequency pushups and chin ups. This week I hit 5 sets of 22 which will be 660 pushups for the week. On a good day, I can now do 4 chin ups in a row and I hope to continue to build that number.

In weightlifting, I did my first one rep max for my deadlifts @ 210lbs, so that was exciting! I want to continue to push the limits on that lift, but also work on improving my squats, and press.

Our wedding planning continues to move along slowly, but as with previous months, the working out piece seems to be the easiest part of wedding preparations!!!

I've added 21 bricks to my goal of 150 perfect bricks, so I am now at 105 bricks. Only 45 to go! If I do reach the 150 perfect bricks before September, I'll probably try to stick with that through the wedding though as a safety measure :) In June, I want to work more on making all of my morning cardio sessions--I relaxed a tiny bit on those in May and I noticed I was less energetic throughout the day. Waking up with energy is the best way to start the day!

Week #14

14 weeks, 84 days, and 84 perfect bricks later, the results for the White Mountain Crossfit Transformation Challenge are in! I have to say, when I saw how well my fellow challenge participants did, I was uncertain how the voting would turn out. I knew I had been committed to this project for the past fourteen weeks, but so had many other incredible women! It was so impressive to see the changes and growth that everyone made. In fact, I think we all met many of our goals--what an inspiring group of people to be surrounded by 3 days a week :)

With that said, Adam was voted the male winner, and I was selected as the female winner! Woo hoo!

My challenge results: 9.5 total inches lost, 10lbs down, 2 clothing sizes dropped.

Weightlifting Progress:

Press 45lbs --> 60lbs
G Row 55lbs-->65lbs
Back Squats 105lbs --> 120lbs
Dead Lifts 145lbs --> 180lbs
Chins 0 --> 3 consecutive
Pushups--> 5 sets of 5 for 6 days to 5 sets of 17 for 6 days

Week 14 Workouts:

Monday- AM elliptical/lunch boot camp/PM xfit
Tuesday- AM run
Wednesday- AM arc trainer/lunch boot camp/PM xfit
Thursday- AM swim/lunch run
Friday- AM elliptical/lunch boot camp/PM xfit
Saturday- AM elliptical
Sunday-AM short walk/rest

Congratulations to all the transformation challenge participants!

Now for the next challenge...maintaining these results...

Week #13

With the final week of the challenge fast approaching, it is hard to believe that I have been so committed to this transformation for over three months. I am curious to take my final measurements next week, but no matter what, this was a success. I will follow up next week with how much my weight lifting increased over the challenge as well.



In week 13, I took advantage of the beautiful, sunny weather by walking outside during lunch for my cardio layering. I'll jump back into lunch boot camp starting on Monday. I just could not stay inside when it was so nice out! I also had an opportunity to ride my road bike for the first time this season on Thursday--it was fantastic! I've missed riding my bike and hope to get out more for some cardio sessions.



Week 13 Workouts:


Monday-AM elliptical/ Lunch walk/ PM xfit
Tuesday- AM swim/walk/ afternoon walk
Wednesday-AM elliptical/lunch walk/ PM xfit
Thursday-AM elliptical/ lunch bike ride
Friday- AM stationary bike and walk / lunch walk/ PM xfit
Saturday-AM swim/midday walk
Sunday-REST

Bricks = 6 (78 total)
Pushups = 480 ( 5 sets of 16 reps)