I am the luckiest girl in the world!

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! I have the most amazing family and friends in the world. I wanted to share with everyone how thankful and blessed I feel to have these amazing and supportive people in my life.

I just want to say how thankful I am for my Parents and my Grandparents. They have taught me that with hard work, sacrifice and determination there is nothing in life that I can not accomplish. They have been there for me every step of the way supporting my dream of starting 512 CrossFit. No matter how hard times get they are always there for me. I love my parents and Grandparents so much, and I thank God for them everyday!

I also wanted to say how thankful I am for my wonderful friends. God has truly blessed me by bringing these people into my life. I am so thankful that I get to spend everyday with these guys. My friends are the most motivating, supportive and positive influences in my life. Everyday they push me to strive to be a better person. They never allow me to be complacent in life. It is a wonderful feeling to have people in my life who share the same goals and dreams that I do.

I AM THE LUCKIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD!!!!

Words to live by...

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings us, but by the attitude we bring life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that brings extraordinary results.

I truly believe in this... If you can bring a positive attitude to whatever you are doing, whether it be training for a competition, becoming more successful in business or improving relationships you will make great strides in life.

So remember crossfitters even when things get rough and you don't think you can go on any longer.... You don't think you can lift that bar even 1 more time and you want to quit... A positive thought to yourself or comment to your fellow classmates can take you to places you never imagined possible.

"GRACE"

Oh how I love Grace! This week all of the indoor CrossFit classes have been attempting "Grace" for the very first time. The 512 CrossFit coaches also did Grace today. I was a little disappointed in the fact that I didn't go a best time today, but on a positive note my clean and jerk form looked more solid today than it has in a while. My form did not break down through out the entire workout. I have been taking the time every day to practice my form at lighter weight to make sure it doesn't break down during my workouts.

"Success does not consist in never making blunders, but in never making the same one a second time"

"Success does not consist in never making blunders, but in never making the same one a second time". Josh Billings

I wanted to take some time today to talk about one very important aspect of training that most people forget about. That crutial part of training is recovery! I chose this quote because I made a huge mistake in my own personal training last year and had an injury that cost me 6 months of forced recovery time, and a horrible performance at the CrossFit qualifier in 2009. I did not take the time to actively recover properly with the intense workouts we were doing and went in to Adrenal Failure. This is NOT Kidney Failure!!! Adrenal failure is what happens to a lot of athletes who put there bodies under a high amount of stress on a daily basis and do not take the time to adiquately recover. Adrenal failure is when your hormonal sytem shuts down and stops producing the hormones your bosy needs to stay healthy. Once your adrenal system shuts down on an athlete all they can do is back off and wait for your system to reset and start producing hormones again.

This year along with my nutrition being 100% better I am taking the time to actively recover in my training cycles. I use injury prevention, trigger point therapy, massage, yoga, Advocare products and 8 hours of sleep to make sure my body recovers each day. Taking care of your body every day will allow you to take your body to places you never dreamed it could go. The sky is the limit!!!

Day 10 of my Paleo challenge!

I have made it successfully to day 10 of my paleo challenge. I have to admit this weekend was really tough for me. It was my best friend's birthday celebration. The plan was to go to dinner and then a bar afterwards. Making through the party was the hardest thing I have have had to do mentally in a long time. Let me tell you it really sucks to be the one at the party not eating or drinking along side all of your friends. Especially when one of your friends orders a plate of hamburgers and fries which happens to be your favorite junk food.

Even know the temptations was certainly there, I did not give into them. I took my own bottle of water to the bar to sip on all night and snacked on the raw almonds and dried fruit I brought in my purse. Luckily all my friends are very supportive of my challenge and did not try to pressure me into going off track even for one night.

Like I said in my last blog. A good support system for accountability is the key to getting to your goals. If you can surround yourself with a community of supportive like minded people like I have at 512 CrossFit you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

Day 6 of my 30 day paleo challenge!

Today is day 6 of my 30 day paleo challenge. It has been okay so far this week until today. I am an ex sugar addict and I love grains of any kind. After 6 days of having no grains or refined sugars I am finally starting to crave them. I want a sandwitch or a diet soda so bad!!!!! I will not cave into the cravings though!

When I am having cravings I think about things that motivate me. The first thing I think about is that I made a commitment to my other coaches to follow through with this challenge. The second is that I want to go to the 2010 CrossFit games more than anything in this world. I know that the competition is really tough and I have to be the best I can be to compete at that level. I want to be able to to stand up against my competition and know that win or lose I did everything in my power to be the best athlete I can be on that day. The last thing I think about is the video on the CrossFit Journal of the women's "chipper". I think of Tanya Wagner and and the look on her face when she finished her last muscle up after she was so worried she wouldn't be able to complete them. I want to feel that feeling... I want to know what it feels like to to take your body to a place you never thought you could physically go. That is what keeps me from giving into those cravings.

My advice to anyone starting a new diet or healthy way of eating is to figure out what your specific goal is. From there find an emotional connection to your goal to keep you motivated and on track. Last would be to have a support system that helps to keep you accountable for your goals.

30 Day Paleo Challenge!

January 4th is not only the start of a new year, but it is the start of the 512 CrossFit Coaches 30 day paleo challenge. On this challenge we are going to eat only lean meats, fruit, veggies, nuts and oils. No grains or refined sugars of any kind! Through out this challenge we will be posting our daily meals and some recipiets for everyone to try out. Remember fitness is just as much about proper nutrition as it is exercise. You can be over fat and be fit, but you can not be over fat and eat paleo!!!

Today I for dinner I had tuna steak seasoned lemmon pepper and dill. I put it on a skillet and cooked about 4-5 minutes on each side until fully cooked. I also drizzeled a little olive oil on the top of the fish to help the seasoning stick. I also sauteed raw baby spinach, fresh mushrooms, and almond slivers. It was delicious! Try this meal some time you will love it. It is also really good with a salmon steak.