Two thousand and thirteen.

Wow, 2013!  My cousin Heather is a blogger, Smart and Savvy Style, and she blogged about resolutions this week.  It’s funny because I feel the exact way she does – I don’t make them.  I started CrossFit last year before Christmas – take that all you “I’m gonna wait until the beginning of the year to start working out!”  To me, it shouldn’t matter – if you want to grow, make a change, try something new, take a chance – you should just do it!

To me, it’s all about setting goals.  So here goes, my goals are in no specific order:

• walk across the Davis Theater stage and grab that stinkin’ diploma!
• lose my last 30 pounds.
• get a 125 pound clean and jerk.
• get a 225 pound deadlift.
• do a HSPU.
• get 10 double unders, unbroken.
• jump on a 24 inch box.
• get a pull up either without the band or with just the blue band.
• visit the hot tub during our annual cabin trip.
• run a half marathon.
• complete the 30-day cleanse and lose at least 15 pounds, what?!?!?!
• become financially free, already working on this one!

There they are – my goals for 2013.

Wait, just 10 more seconds!

One of my fellow CrossFitters at RRCF submitted a “CrossFit Problems,” and I think we can all relate…

…when your coach won’t allow you to enjoy the best part of a burpee – the 10 second (or 45) second nap you get to take when you go down to the floor just before you focus on the actual push up!  For some reason they keep trying to wake you!?!?! – Laurie AKA Patriot

Now let me tell you a little about Patriot.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her frown – she’s all smiles all the time.  It’s extremely inspirational.  🙂

Remember! If you have a CrossFit problem to share, send it my way at sfletcher81@gmail.com!

No warmup??

Completing a workout without warming up = sore back, which = ringing in the new year on the couch.

CrossFit Problems.

Be sure to warmup and do mobility!!!

Happy NYE!!!!

How many times…

…have you said this???

CrossFit Problems.

This one time at…

How many of you CrossFitters can’t go a day without talking about CrossFit??? 

I know that I can’t…I’m sure my friends, who don’t do CrossFit, get tired of it.

Until you become a CrossFitter, you probably will not understand.

CrossFit Problems!!!!

Pistols, Deadlifts, Wall Ball Shots and Box Jumps.

CrossFit Problems

Tonight’s WOD! Wall Ball Shots are not my fav. I get no rep’d often…which is a CrossFit problem!!!

Snatch, what?

Snatch that weight!  Last week, one of our WODs included 1 rep max weight on the snatch.  I couldn’t get further than 55 pounds.  I knew the reason why:  I wasn’t doing them correctly.  Here’s what I wasn’t doing:

• keeping the bar close to my body
• shrugging
• high pull
• squatting

Wednesdays are open gym days at our box.  You can do gutz, a WOD, power hour or work on a certain technique.  There was already a group of girls working on the snatch technique when I got there.  Our coach, Josh, gave us the following setup to work on with lightweight (trainer bar with 10 pound plates on each side):

1. 2 Snatch Deadlifts
2. 2 Snatch Shrug
3. 2 Snatch Hang Cleans
4. 1 Snatch

I ended up doing the 4 steps with a PVC pipe and then moved to the trainer bar.  Before the night was over, I was keeping the bar close and dropping into a squat stance.  I decided to do some research on the snatch and found this awesome youtube video.  I can’t wait to get that good!  Can we say a goal for 2013???

Ugh, yeah.

 

 

CrossFit Problems

Yeah, this has happened.

 

Fletch’s Year-End Review

Wow, what can I say?  2012 has been an amazing year.  I hit my 30 pound lost mark, lost 4 pant sizes and so many other milestones.  It has been one year since I first stepped foot into River Region CrossFit (RRCF).  If you remember my story, I started CrossFit as an overweight couch potato weighing in over 200 pounds.  When I first contacted Josh Carter, my now coach at RRCF, I was at rock bottom and on the edge of giving up.  It is difficult not to become emotional while talking about my journey because I NEVER thought it could be done.  You can ask most anyone who has known me for a long time; I’m notorious for starting something and not finishing it:  Atkins Diet, LA Weight Loss, Planet Fitness, Jazzercise…the list goes on.

There is something about CrossFit that grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go; well, that is if you allow it to totally consume you.  If you give it a chance and actually try – and I mean try with all your body, mind and soul – you can do it and you’ll have nothing but benefits to reap from it.  In one year, I have formed new friendships, gained confidence in myself and learned to love myself again.  For years, I disliked the person I had become:  depressed, emotional and afraid.  It took courage that sometimes…I just did not have in order to put myself together and interact with friends.  I never felt like I truly fit in – I was always the “fat” girl.  There were sometimes I didn’t go to get-together’s or parties because I felt horrible about myself:  my clothes didn’t fit right or I was just anxious to be around others.  Everything about me was out of sorts, which resulted in eating more and doing less.  When I look back at pictures, I can’t believe “that Stephanie,” the one who ate uncontrollably and had little self-worth had gotten so out of control.

Since 2006, I have let each year pass with wants and wishes of losing weight.  Each summer, I would tell myself – this is it – this time next year, I’ll be comfortable in my bathing suit.  Each year passed and more weight was packed on and before I knew it, my size 18 pants were too small.  When I contacted Josh 12 months ago, I was serious about changing my life, but there was always this voice in my head telling me, “you can’t do it – you always give up and what makes you think things will be different this time?”  River Region CrossFit is what is different this time:  the coaches, friends, atmosphere, community…that’s what is different.

Now, here I am, a CrossFitter.  I may not be the best CrossFitter and lift the most weight, but I am doing far more than I ever done.  Every single day, week, month – there’s an improvement or a new milestone.  Rikki Rogers said, “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do.  It comes from overcoming things you once thought you couldn’t.”  And for me, the year of 2012 has been about overcoming things I couldn’t before.  For 2013, I want to expand on my goals and set new personal records.

But yes, I wear crazy looking shoes and I don’t go one day without mentioning something CrossFit.  My Facebook page is filled with CrossFit this and CrossFit that.  My ears are on auto-tune…it feels like I can hear “CrossFit” from a mile away and when I hear it, my heart starts beating and my pulse speeds up.  I get super excited.  Even if it isn’t my conversation and I don’t know the people, I want to join the conversation if it’s geared around CrossFit.  Yep, you can say I’m addicted.

For me, CrossFit is more than just lifting weight.  CrossFit has been the avenue for me to find myself and learn to love myself again.  I have gained confidence and self-worth.  RRCF is true to its’ slogan – it is the baddest box in the River Region and does redefine fitness.

I have the most amazing coaches:  Joshua Carter, Wesley Hodges, Larry Geddings, Stephen Roy, Chris Bailey, Bucky Stephens and I cannot forget Mandy and Jake Baker, and Chandler Merrill.  Each and every single one of these coaches have taught me something – a technique, the need to believe in myself, commit to the movement and more.  They have seen me nervous, irritated, ticked off, upset and crying like a baby.  Not once, have they stopped believing in me.

Now to the even better stuff, my personal records and max weights!

One Rep Max:

• November 12, 2012, Push Jerk:  105 pounds from 55 pounds on May 9, 2012
• November 12, 2012, Deadlift:  200 pounds from 65 pounds on January 26, 2012

Personal Records:

• November 27, 2012, Back Squat:  115 pounds from 55 pounds on February 23, 2012
• December 15, 2012, Front Squat:  105 pounds from 75 pounds on April 17, 2012
• Grace at 75 pounds, completed in 5 minutes and 20 seconds
• 20 inch box jumps
• 55 pound snatch
• 55 pound overhead squat
• 5k run (without stopping) in 40:13 compared to not being able to run 400 meters without stopping one year ago.
• June 2012:  Competed in Embrace the Gauntlet, a Garage Games CrossFit Competition

Weight Lost:  33 pounds

Inches Lost:

• Upper Arm:  2.5 inches
• Bust:  5 inches
• Waist:  3.7 inches
• Hips:  5.8 inches
• Thighs:  3 inches
• Calves:  0.5 inches
• Ankles:  0.5 inches

Total Lost:  21 inches

December 2012

200 pound Deadlift

November 2012

2011 vs 2012!!!!

October 2012 vs October 2011

2012 5k on left vs 2011 5k on right

October 2012

October 2012

Barbells for Boobs, Grace scaled @ 75 pounds. Completed in 5 min 20 sec.

July 2012

My coach, Wes, and me.
20 inch box jump.

June 2012

Clean and Jerks @ Embrace the Gauntlet

The video that started it all – I had to “chalk my hands” for courage to jump that 20 inch box!

Wow – times have changed…

Oh and crazy shoes, see?!?!?!

Fletch’s shoes.

Thank you to all my coaches, family, friends and ichalkit followers – thank you for the motivation, inspiration and encouragement.  It has been such a great year.  I can’t wait to see what great things will happen in 2013!!!

Awesome-ness.

Why is that when I blab about my feelings on here that they are usually resolved the next day?  I suppose I shouldn’t question it and just go with it, huh?  Suits me.  I’m just glad tonight’s WOD was able to lift my spirits.  What can I say to sum up tonight’s WOD?  AWESOME-NESS, that’s what it was.  I felt so good that I couldn’t focus on studying for my Finance test, instead I was turning cartwheels in my living room.  Soon the cartwheels turned into trying to do a HSPU in my dining room.  I was able to get up on the wall, ahem, by myself – but my arms weren’t locked, which cause the leaning and then crashing tower of Fletch.  I landed on my head, but I was too surprised that I got on the wall that I didn’t care.  I tried it again, but wasn’t as successful, but it’s a start, right??

 

I bet you’re wondering what was so awesome about tonight’s WOD…well, Josh Carter and coaches were determined to encourage everyone at the box to PR on Deadlifts and Push Jerks.  I have to say by all the posts popping up in my News Feed on Facebook that they were successful.  At the 5:45 p.m. class tonight, people were working up to their max 1 rep goal.  It was truly amazing to see everyone in the zone.  I know everyone in our class exceeded their max – it literally makes me want to scream “YEAH YUH” like Lil Jon.  Ahhhh!!!!  Before tonight my max on the Deadlift was 155 pounds, but tonight my max increased to 200 pounds!  I mean, whaaat??  That’s crazy, right?  My Push Jerk tonight exceeded to 105 pounds…eek!!!

 

I truly think everyone left the box tonight feeling accomplished.  Good stuff happening, people, good stuff.