Athlete

The Crossfit competition has finally come and I finished!! (I have the bruises and sore body to prove it)

This weekend marked my very first Crossfit competition. This also marks the very first (and probably last) time that I've been called an athlete! (I even have a t-shirt that says it).

There is way too much to tell you, so I'll give you the details via some photos!!

First WOD, prepping for a shoulder to overhead press. I had a pretty rough time of it..

Bottom of my final front squat- I may or may not have been screaming.

Box Pushes- These work your booty like NO. OTHER.

Jump ropes- normally I suck, but I was ON IT.

Deadlifts- with impeccable form :)

The XFit 712 crew! (Minus 2) Everyone performed INCREDIBLY

Post-Competition Parking lot celebration moscato. We earned it.

This journey to my first Crossfit competition wasn't easy; It took a lot of hard work and a WHOLE lot of sweat, and maybe some tears. However, it was all worth it. I have never felt so incredible- and sore. (Again- Holy bruises.) If you can ever get yourself to a Crossfit competition (like the one happening at Crossfit Beo in Sioux City this fall), check it out and cheer on some amazing athletes!! (Which I apparently get to call myself now!!!)

Until we sweat again!

Improvisation

We all have those days where getting to the gym is impossible. The babysitter couldn't make it; The work load just keeps piling up with no end in sight; You couldn't find the motivation... The laundry list of reasons could go on for days in most cases.

For me, today's trip to the gym was postponed first by a trip to visit my academic advisor (which lasted way longer than I anticipated), then by the promise of payment if I helped mom out with some stuff up at school, and finally, by my little sister's car being stranded in the park, and everyone needing to pitch in to help get it home.

This is where improvisation comes into play. Can't make it to the gym? Lift the baby up high, and bring him down again slowly, working out your arms- or hold him close and do some slow squats. Sit on a stability ball while you work at your desk to keep your core engaged. Do squats/sit ups/counter push ups while you're watching your favorite show or during commercial breaks.

My improvisation today was a little more... makeshift. As I was rushing around trying to get to the gym, my mom informed me of my sister's car situation and instructed me to go get her some fuel for the car and, if the fuel didn't do the trick, we'd be pushing.

Want to know a secret? The fuel didn't work.

(Okay, it's not much of a secret.)

Do you have any idea the muscles you work while pushing an Impala uphill? Sure, I had 3 other siblings pushing the backside of the car with me (well, 2 and a bystander), and my mom was jamming her shoulder into the frame of the car to help, but oh my goodness my buns!!! If someone had told me all I needed to do was push a car for 5 minutes to feel a deep burn in my butt, I would've been pushing cars uphill long before now. (That's not true. Screw pushing cars uphill. That sucked.)

I imagine this is what I'll feel like after the box pushes at the competition this weekend??

Gee, I can't wait...

Until we sweat again!!!

In Preparation

It is official- in exactly one week, I will be on my way to Okoboji for my very first Crossfit competition.

Words can't even describe how anxious/nervous I am. I can't even begin to think of everything I need to be doing to prepare this week. I haven't run through the WODs in awhile and I am terrified to do so, just in case I end up realizing I'm awful at them and feel the need to back out.. and what is more embarrassing than wussing out on a competition a week before?

This week, I'm eating meat and vegetables like it's my job. (And the occasional bits of fruit here and there.) Dad offered to get some Moscato D'Asti tonight and I turned it down for the first time EVER. I'm afraid of taking in too much sugar this close to competition time. Sound silly to anyone else??

I'm also trying not to get too crazy in my workouts. Again, sounds kind of silly, but I'm worried I'll burn out before next weekend. (As much as I try, Taryn insists on kicking my butt with WODs like Angie. See more below.)

Angie is an ADORABLE little timed WOD consisting of 100 pull ups, 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, and 100 squats. Right before we did this, our warm up was Bring Sally Up with burpees. Every time you hear the words "bring Sally up," you jump up out of the burpee, and when you hear "bring Sally down," you hold the bottom of a push up. All of that rolled together was cute. And by cute I mean I wanted to cry.

So how does one unwind before a competition?

YOGA.

I have the great pleasure of being able to take a yoga class every Thursday night at my gym, with my favorite yoga instructor ever. (She's the only one I've ever met, but I don't even care. She's the one I want. Whoo hoo hoo, honey.) The entire time I'm there, when I'm not thinking "Breathe. Breathe. BREATHE," I'm saying little prayers in my quiet moments. She has us set an intention for our practice, and lately mine has been just to be thankful for my body and the opportunities I've been presented with. How many people are given the opportunity to train with people that genuinely care about each person they work with? How many people have a healthy, young, capable body to be able to compete? Forget competing- walking, even. Healthy lungs for breathing. A healthy mind to keep my thoughts and priorities in order. A healthy heart.

While it may seem an odd thing to be thinking about right before I go destroy my body in effort to take home some bragging rights, but thanks to yoga, I've begun to realize how much I have to be thankful for- and time to myself to BE thankful, even if just an hour, is completely wonderful.

If you haven't tried out yoga, I sincerely suggest you give it a try. And if I can't convince you, I'll be having Trisha, my yoga instructor, on the blog doing a guest blog piece! Look for it soon, and wish me luck next weekend!!

Until we sweat again!!