Updates…

…it has been awhile since I’ve posted.  My apologies.  Things have busy and I haven’t really been feeling inspired lately.  I have got to get out of this funk that I’m in.  I can’t get my mind right, which is interfering with my workouts and school.  Ugh.  One thing that is different though, which is a HUGE improvement is that I’m still showing up for the WODs.  The Stephanie in the past would have quit by now and went back to the same old crap of being lazy and eating/cooking anything her little heart desired.  Enough about all this, let’s move onto the updates.

Update 1:  Barbells for Boobs.  I was pretty nervous.  I’m not exactly sure why, but I was.  A group of ladies from work came to the box to support me, which was amazing.  🙂  I completed the 30 clean and jerks at 75 pounds in 5 minutes and 20 seconds.  I set a personal record that day and our box raised over $2,000!!!  Yippppeeee!

Barbells for Boobs at RRCF

Strong Ta-Ta’s.

Clean and Jerk at 75 Pounds

Update 2:  Halloween Bash at RRCF.  Lauren, Wes and I threw a Halloween Bash at the box.  It was a whole lotta fun.  I showed off some of my awesome dance moves, you know the MC Hammer, lawnmower, grocery cart and many others.  Ha!

Lauren as Sophia Grace, me as La Sarah and Wes as Ellen Degeneres

La Sarah and Darrell as Lil Wayne

Vic as John Cena and La Sarah

La Sarah and my Coach, Josh

Update 3:  HSPU’s reared its ugly head again.  Once again, I cried and left me feeling totally defeated.  My coach Wes gave me a much-needed “Come to Jesus Meeting.”  Grrrr.  I have decided to start with cartwheels.  Think about it:  I’ll get used to the “going down movement,” supporting my weight and overcoming my fear of being upside down.  I think it can work.

Update 4:  I bought a size medium coat.  Yeah yuh!  Last year, I was wearing an x-large and I hate to admit this, but I was still wearing my maternity pea coat.  Again, why did I let myself get that out of control?  I am so thankful for CrossFit, my coaches and my RRCF family and let’s not forget my friends and family.  All of them together help keep me motivated.  So, if you’re reading…I’m in desperate need of some inspiration and motivation.  Not physical, but mental.  Help me get out of this funk!  I need to believe in myself again.

Well, that’s about it.  Holla!

Determination.

My last post was about how I boo freaking hoo’ed at CrossFit on Tuesday.  Yesterday, I read some of my older posts and is unreal how a person can change in a few months.  I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll mention it again, CrossFit isn’t just about physical fitness, it is about breaking down those mental and emotional barriers to allow YOU to believe in yourself.  Little by little, I am becoming more confident in my skills.  I am believing in myself a little more each week.  It is tough, but I never expected it to be easy.

 

After my mini breakdown on Tuesday, I committed me – myself – and I to not letting it get me down.  I put behind the stares from falling on my head during HSPU’s and I showed up tonight determined to make that WOD my biatch, which I did.  Yes sir, I sure did!  And Josh Carter, if you are reading this, can we say progress?

 

Ok, so I am sure you’re wondering about tonight’s WOD, huh?

15 Clean and Jerks

Rest 1 minute

10 Clean and Jerks

Rest 1 minute

5 Clean and Jerks

Rest 1 minute

50 Deadlifts

30 lateral burpees

I was able to finish the 30 clean and jerks (at 75 pounds) in 8 minutes.  The entire WOD was completed under 20 minutes.

 

Tough.

Guess what?  CrossFit is tough.  Guess what, again?  Losing weight is tough.  Let’s keep this going.

Guess what, guess what, guess what???

• Being consistent is tough
• Making it through a WOD is tough
• Being confident is tough
• Believing in myself is tough
• LIFE is tough

There’s always going to be something in life that is tough.  Does that mean you give up just because things get tough?  Nope.  Although tonight, I seriously wanted to quit on round 7.  Somehow I made it to round 10.  I was ticked – physically and emotionally spent – but made it to the last round.

 

Tonight, ugh, tonight was the first night I cried during and after a WOD in a LONG time.  It was also the first night in a long time that a “Come to Jesus Meeting” was needed.  As soon as I started crying, I was pissed.  I told myself months ago that I was done crying at CrossFit.  So of course when the tears started flowing, they flowed even harder because I was mad at myself for actually “going there” and crying.  Ugh, but whatever – it happened.

 

The only thing I can do now is suck it up and move on, show up for my WOD on Thursday and do the dang thing!

 

Snatch It!

A new WOD is posted every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of each week.  I stalk the RRCF page until the WOD is posted and sometimes I regret even looking and yesterday was definitely one of those days.  I tell myself that it is ok to check out the WOD because it will NOT be a deciding factor on whether or not I go – I decided in December 2011, when I first started CrossFit, that it would be mandatory to do the WODs.  I wasn’t just going to lay out of the workout just because I didn’t feel like it or the WOD was too hard.  I am committed to keeping this lifestyle that has totally consumed me since December.

Well, like I mentioned earlier – yesterday’s WOD was one of those “regret looking at the WOD” days.  I showed up at the box nervous.  As Josh was teaching us the technique of the snatch (with a PVC pipe), my heart was beating so fast.  I just knew that I was going to be unsuccessful and it scared the crap out of me.  One day I hope to have as much belief in myself as my coaches do in me.  It’s almost overwhelming how they know without a shadow of a doubt that if you commit and put your mind to it – you’ll succeed.

Here’s yesterday’s WOD:

WOD 10.1.12

We walk in the box after our technique lesson to actually try it with the bar.  Then, we added the weight. Again, I was super nervous.  My weight ended up being 55 pounds for the snatch and overhead squat.  I was unable to finish all three rounds, but I was able to make it to the 10 overhead squats on round three.  It felt good to as Josh put it “rip that bar off the floor” and succeed.

Here’s a video of my snatch and overhead squat:

Cheers to the next 30.

I’ve been down 30 pounds for a little while now and though I have enjoyed it – it is time to lose the next 30.  The month of September has flown by and I haven’t taken my Paleo-ish lifestyle seriously – well, except for this week.  Thankfully because of it, I was able to complete tonight’s WOD feeling strong.  It really does make a difference to eat right.  If I don’t, I feel sluggish – but when I do, I feel energized and ready to tackle the workout.

Here I am, down 30…

 

 

 

So here goes – cheers to the next 30!

Life.

It has been awhile since I have posted, but life has been hectic lately.  I was sick last week.  I suppose that rainy Color Run wasn’t the best for someone already feeling under the weather.  And as you all know, I’m in school.  So on top of working full-time, being a mother, wife and CrossFitter, I’m also a student.  Life is hectic and busy.  I will try my hardest to keep ichalkit updated, but please bear with me if I miss some days.

To catch y’all up, I celebrated my 30 pounds lost with some very special people over the weekend.  Needless to say, my workout on Monday was pretty rough due to all the “celebrating” on Saturday.  Yesterday, we had a special tribute WOD to 9/11.  Let me just mention that the WOD included 1,377 jump ropes.  Wowza, right?  I NEVER want to do that many jump ropes again.  Well, I guess I can do them again next year.  I can handle them once a year, I think.

CrossFit Family

I showed up at CrossFit tonight not feeling well and definitely not feeling the WOD.

 

Tonight’s WOD:

800 meter run

5 Rounds of 20 Thrusters and 20 Burpees; 40 minute cap

I completed three rounds and was on my fourth round of thrusters.  During the last two minutes, the entire 6:30 class was cheering me on to give all that I had left.  I cannot help but to get emotional.  The reason I get so emotional:  women and men that finished the WOD and stuck around to cheer me on – to cheer on the Fletch who started CrossFit over 200 pounds with low self-esteem, no confidence and no willpower to stick with anything physical.

I cannot explain to you how it feels to have so much support.  At the Color Run, the CrossFitters found each other…we can’t help it.  We’re a family.

A CrossFit family…

Don’t Wake Me Up…

…yes, the title is the same as a Chris Brown song.  And yes, it’s a love song, but for me it applies to what my life is now.  My life feels like a dream.  So, please don’t wake me up!

Tonight was a HUGE night.  I was seriously freaking out about the WOD for tonight.  I can handle power cleans and squat cleans, but when I read 1600 meter run – I was like, oh heck no!  I was trying to stay positive.  Rich and Josh Matlock were helping me stay positive – they’re really encouraging folks.

We completed our power cleans (finally made it up to 95 pounds, woot!) and it was time to run the 1600 meters – for time.  I started running and my breathing was getting out of control, but I kept telling myself – I CAN do this and I AM NOT going to stop.  400 meters done then it was 800 meters done and I’m still running…then, the breathing was manageable.  It finally dawned on me, I really CAN do this.  I’m not going to give up and man what a feeling it will be to actually run the entire 1600 meters straight.  As I’m running, I see my other fellow CrossFitters – they are also giving it all they’ve got.  We’re cheering each other on – we can do this.  And we did.  All of us.  We ran it straight.  My time for the 1600 meters was 12:11.  I stepped into the box and my coach, Josh, was like – FLETCH, you finished????  And I just nodded and started crying.  Man, what a feeling.  One more goal – accomplished.

Why was this a huge deal?  Well, back in January after CrossFitting for one month – I attempted to run the 5k at the Gump Games.  I had terrible shin splints and spent a little extra time with my coach, Josh, trying to fix the problem.  He taught me the correct way to run, but I still wasn’t strong enough to run most of it.  As I’m crying and walking the last part of the route, I see this woman – she came to find me – and she started walking with me.  Come to find out “she” was my coach’s, Wes, mom.  She kept telling me it was great that I was attempting the 5k.  We rounded the corner and then I see Wes.  They both walked with me to the finish line.  If that isn’t encouragement, I don’t know what it is.  THIS, is what CrossFit is about.  It’s about becoming part of a family – one that wants YOU to succeed.

Here’s a photo I put together.  The left photo (taken by Rich Matlock) was taken during the last leg of the 5k at the Gump Games and the right photo was taken tonight by my hubby.

Like I said, don’t wake me up.

Sparky.

Last week, I took a much-needed break and headed to Point Clear for a family vacation.  I ate bad, didn’t exercise, read 5 books and I LOVED every single minute of it.  By the time this dreaded Monday morning rolled around, I was surprisingly ready to get back on track with eating right and hitting the box.

Oh and did I mention that school started today?  Yes, I work full-time and attend Troy University and let’s not forget I’m also a wife and mother.  I’m finally a junior/senior and my expected date of graduation is December 2013.  Thankfully, my classes are online so I can still get my CrossFit on after work.

Today was an interesting night at the box.  RRCF often celebrates birthdays of CrossFitters at the box.  Today happens to be Kelli’s birthday.  I am always nervous before I hit the box and my work out partner, Steph is usually nervous too.  Welllll, tonight Steph walked in wired on Spark.  Hence, her new nickname – Sparky.  Sparky was dropping it like it’s hot during our squats and barking during the lunges.  Needless to say, I had lots of fun tonight.  I have determined every night needs to be a spark night.

Thanks for all the laughs tonight, Sparky.

In God We Thrust.

I told Josh Matlock this would be on my blog.  I do what I say.  So, here it is.

On the warm up board, the very last “warm up”, was 10-3 second hip raise holds.  Since I have never done a hip raise hold, I asked Wes how it should be done.  Wes tells me, “lay down on your back” then guides the attention of the 6:30 class for to me to “demonstrate” the hip raise hold.  I have had to step outside my comfort zone at RRCF.  Needless to say, I can barely do Zumba in a room by myself.  Those hip thrusts sort of make me uncomfortable.  Little by little, RRCF is helping me become more comfortable in my own skin.  Ok, back to the hip raise holds.  You lay on your back and thrust your hips up and hold for 3 seconds.  Obviously, I felt a tad bit uncomfortable.  After Wes tells me that the “thrusting” needed to be faster – I told him I needed a curtain or my own private room to perform these “hip raise holds.”  Wes replied, “there ain’t no Karma Sutra stuff goin on up in here.”  Thankfully, good ole Josh Matlock joined me for his hip raise holds.  I was grateful that I didn’t have to hump the air by myself.  We had a good laugh when Josh mentioned he was a good thruster.  And get your mind out tha gutter!  We’re talking about CrossFit here!

Man, I love CrossFit.

Fast forward through the horrible WOD, which Josh Carter should have made a Team WOD.  If only you could hear the conversations Josh and I have – they’re funny.  Most the time filled with expletives, but it’s all in good fun.  Whatever helps you get through the WOD, right??  And puhhhhleeeeezzzzze, don’t tell Wes you have to go to the bathroom.  He will announce that you’re handling b’ness…b’ness that’s usually done in the comfort of your own home.  Again, I LOVE CrossFit.  Ok, ok, ok – back to the story.  We’re doing mobility and McRib is on the board.  Most of us know that McRib is finding your pressure points on your back with a racquetball.  Well, Josh Matlock was thinking “McRib” from McDonalds.  Bahahahaha.  Hilarious.  Tonight was a fun night despite the WOD.  Nights like tonight make me love CrossFit, the people I work out with and my coaches even more.  It’s awesome.

As far as fitness goes – I push for people to try CrossFit – but I understand that it isn’t for everyone.  I really believe everyone can do it – it just may not be what you’re looking for, but if you’re reading this blog – find something you love and stick with it.  Do it for yourself and for the people you love.  You’ll never regret feeling better about yourself.  Well, that’s all for tonight.

Have a great night!!!