Destination Jamaica!

At the end of January, Mark and I will be heading to Negril, Jamaica for our slightly delayed honeymoon. I am looking forward to a break from the cold New England temps and most likely the snow that will be here by that time. However, this does of course mean new goal--bikini body by January! At least I could go today and still feel fine out on a beach, but let's face it, it is our honeymoon so it would be nice to feel/look better than fine! I've been back on track overall since the last WMCF challenge. I primarily eat paleo during the week and have a cheat day on the weekends. I'll continue to track this closely (especially during the tricky holiday season), but also want to really be more dedicated with morning fasted cardio workouts. I've been missing a few here and there because I've been tired from a late grad class and working evenings. This will be something that I can at least work on once the class is over on December 4th. I'd like to incorporate more running and swimming into those morning sessions, so I am swimming this week with some triathlon people in Manchester. Hopefully this will get me more motivated during the am sessions. It is really difficult to get up with lack of light and warmth in the morning--one of the reasons I really do not enjoy NH. I'll just have to make it work! I do feel as though I've hit quite a plateau in my fitness and would like to rev up my metabolism, but I'm struggling with how to do this. Thoughts? Comments? Things that have worked for you?

My general workout schedule looks like this on a good week where I get to all my morning sessions:

Mondays- AM cardio (elliptical), XFit in the afternoon
Tuesdays- AM cardio (swim/run), Lunch yoga
Wednesdays- AM cardio (elliptical), lunch boot camp PM xfit
Thursdays- AM cardio (elliptical/walk), xfit or boot camp
Fridays- AM cardio (swim/run), boot camp or pm xfit
Saturdays- AM cardio, am xfit conditioning workout
Sundays- run or rest

If anyone has anything they would add/adjust to give me a leg up on my next goal, please send your comments along!

29/30

To conclude the thirty day White Mountain Crossfit Challenge, I participated in the Barbells for Boobs fundraiser by completing the workout Amazing Grace. This consists of 30 clean and jerks for time. I'll fully admit that I lifted a very light weight as I am still working on getting the movement down and would rather not injure my back as it finally seems to be healed up from the issue I had in August. With that said, I finished Amazing Grace @ 40lbs in 3:48. My hope is that next year I'll be lifting more weight, but for now, I am just happy I finished and seemed to have decent control over the movement this morning.

All in all, the thirty day challenge was a good reset for me post-wedding. I needed to follow rigid guidelines and workouts in order to get back on track pre-holidays. I had 29 of 30 perfect days. What happened on one of the days? Well, it is kind of lame actually. I had a fancy dinner for the NH Humanities Council and was doing well through most of the evening. No drinks, no dressing on the salad, etc. Then, as I was halfway through my squash (seriously!) and I realized it was full of butter and sugar. At that point, I knew that my fasted cardio for the next AM was not going to happen so I also indulged in a glass of red wine and some tiramasu for dinner. The next morning, I went to Starbucks for a few treats but by 9am, I was back on track. I could have just given up at this point because it was day 22 of the challenge, but I did not go that route. I cleaned up for the remaining 8 days to finish strong. I lost 6 inches and almost 6lbs during this reset and that puts me at a comfortable range for the difficult holiday season. My goal for the next few months is to focus on building strength and eating clean during the week. If I slip a bit on the weekends or holiday days, oh well. 2013 is right around the corner to make new resolutions ;) My daily pushups are something I will continue to do. Burpees...I think I'll save those for the gym. I hated doing those every day for the last 30 days! Throughout the month, I completed 1200 burpees--gross! Nonetheless, it helped get the heart pumping every day.

Moving forward, I purchased a fun paleo cookbook called Practical Paleo and I have some meals planned for next week. I'll continue to drink a gallon of water every day--it is probably one of the best things I do for my body on a regular basis. I'm starting to think about snowshoe racing, yoga, and even some possible triathlon races for next summer. We'll see what direction my training takes next, but in the meantime, I'll keep doing the fasted morning cardio, lunch boot camp, and crossfit workouts through the week. There is certainly no reason to go back when things are working so well. This is my one year anniversary of starting the crossfit lifestyle--so glad I walked into WMCF last year!

Challenge Check In

On Day #17 of the WMCF 30 for 30 challenge I completed my first Adventure 5K. Basically, it is a 5K in the woods with some obstacles. The uphill climb in the woods was definitely the most physically demanding part of the course. I enjoyed jumping over walls and did not have major difficulties crawling under things as I am so short. However, the water obstacles left me drenched because I am vertically challenged. Not to worry though, I had a great race! It was a 12th place age group finish for me and I was 109 overall. I am still trying to find out how many people did the race as well as how many were in my age group, but it was a solid race overall. So, what was the worst part? Since it was held at a water park that has a haunted house during the Halloween season, they had some of that up and running during race. The two zombies that jumped out and screamed at me were by far my least favorite part of the race! Give me hill climbs, rope walls, dunk tanks--anything but creepy zombies scaring me! A quick note about the image at the beginning of this blog post...I may not beat the boys at my crossfit gym, but I definitely left some men in the dust at the Adventure 5K--ah my competitive Type A personality enjoyed that :)

The Adventure 5K was a good focus point to see where I am in terms of the 30 day challenge. I certainly feel stronger and leaner than when I started at the end of September. I'm not to my peak fitness level, but I've definitely made some recovery since the time following our wedding. Also, I went shopping yesterday because I needed some pants and sweaters for the winter as everything from last year is too big--woo hoo! Nonetheless, I still have some more work to do in the next few weeks. I'd like to try to cut back on portions of healthy fats. I still rely a bit too heavily on macademias, cashews, and coconut products. It has also been a plateau in terms of weight loss. I shed a few lbs to start and then have just been hovering for awhile and I'm not thrilled about that because it is a bit over where I was pre-wedding. It is difficult the find the right balance between fueling my body and leaning out. I've amped up my workouts so I need energy, but I also think I can use that as an excuse to consume extra calories.

Additionally, the fall is not an easy time for the 30 for 30 challenge. I've had to pass up a lot happy hours and yummy baked goods at work, but I know my body thanks me for that!

I was excited to see my good friend Sara, over at House Bella, has started her own Whole 30 challenge this month. Check out her blog for some great recipes and insightful commentary about this lifestyle challenge.

Stats:

14 days of 125+ pushups each day
17 days of 2 sets of 20 Burpees = 680 Burpees so far
17 days of a gallon+ water per day
17 days of no dairy, legumes, bad carbs, extra sugar
17 days of most carbs (except post workout) cut by 2PM
17 days of mobility/stretching (yoga, lacrosse ball, foam roller, yoga strap)
17 days of more rest (going to bed earlier)
14 days of fasted am cardio (walking, elliptical, or swimming)
7 sessions of crossfit

30 for 30

It has been a few weeks since I've blogged; it is time to hold myself accountable for my wellness. It was a fun yet tiring few weeks since the wedding. I'll admit that I let myself go a bit--everyone told me it was fine, that I had earned it. And maybe I had after working my butt off for the last year or so; nonetheless it is back to the grind. WMCF is currently having a 30 for 30 challenge which holds us accountable for our nutrition, exercise, rest, and mobility from September 27th- October 27th. The culminating event will be the Barbells for Boobs fundraiser at the gym on October 27th.

To measure my progress in this challenge, I am going to base it on the fit of my clothing (which has somehow gotten a bit snug since the wedding ;)) as well as meeting my goals for eating right, exercising a minimum of 3 X per week (this will be easy as I usually do 2 X per day for 6 days), and the biggest challenge, getting more sleep! Sleep and mobility are the aspects of my lifestyle that usually suffer the most. In order to take a graduate course, work a second job, and fit in all of my workouts, I often don't get the necessary amount of sleep. The plan is to start small and just cut TV/computer a half hour to an hour prior to bed to calm my mind, and then try to go to sleep earlier.

The first few days of the 30 for 30 have gone well, but I am definitely starting to get some sugar withdrawal as that is one of things I am cutting from my daily meals. I'm down a few lbs already, so hopefully everything will fall back into place as I get immersed in the challenge.

Daily Goals:
- 2 X 20 Burpees
- 5 X 25 Pushups
- Fasted cardio (5-7 times per week @ 40-60 minutes)
- 3 times per week at xfit
- Getting more sleep (getting off computer/TV early)
- 10 minutes of mobility work
- Layering in extra cardio/boot camp sessions
- Drink gallon of water per day
- Whole 30 compliant foods/meals, no sugar, alcohol, dairy, or legumes
- Stretching/working on my back injury

White Mountain Crossfit Testimonial

Following the whirlwind of our DIY wedding and ten months of hard work, I am taking some time to write about how White Mountain Crossfit and the coaches at the gym have changed my lifestyle and workout habits.

As I have mentioned previously in my blog, I was in rough shape when I entered the gym back in late October 2011. I was 25lbs overweight and getting married the following year. It may have been a superficial reason for starting a new workout plan, but it served as a starting point for attending "On Ramp" which is a three week introductory class. I knew I would learn different weightlifting moves, but I did not expect to find a whole new outlook on life in just a few short weeks. Originally, I was worried about becoming "bulky" or "meaty" due to lifting weights. Instead, I got sculpted, toned arms that friends often comment on.

Ultimately, I am able to reach my goals because Jon, Brad, Jen and all the crossfit gym members motivate me every single time I enter the gym. Attitudes and egos are checked at the door but camaraderie and positive reinforcement are in abundance. It is an environment that pushes people to their maximum effort and the results are impressive.

Although I was the women's winner of the transformation challenge, I found the time after the competition to be equally important. I still had about 4 months until my wedding to maintain my physique. I was able to do this by following solid dietary guidelines and a weight training program tailored to my needs. Jon continually provides feedback and helps me adjust my program as needed. He is a true professional who cares deeply about what his clients are looking to gain from crossfit. The individualized nature of the program combined with the group support is an effective approach to fitness.

When I walked down the aisle last weekend for our wedding, I felt confident, comfortable, and happy. Do I have moments where I relax on my routine? Sure-- I'm only human; but I know that I can go right back to the gym and find the inspiration to pick back up where I left off.

(Below) Before Picture--triathlete, but not necessarily in shape...

(Above) After ten months of crossfit...


(Below) Wedding Day, September 2012...

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?