Unmotivated

Yesterday afternoon I hit a wall at work & all I was thinking about was that in a few hours I would be at the box lifting & squatting heavy. Just thinking about it was making me tired; I was definitely not feeling it – mentally or physically. My yawning every few minutes had already kicked in & my hips, legs & knees were tired & sore from lifting the night before. Everything was telling me to take a rest day…to go home & lie on the couch, catch up on my recorded shows & just relax. Tuesday is by no means a rest day for me – those are reserved for Thursdays & Sundays. I still had 2 more days to go.

Most of you that are reading this, my parents included, are probably thinking, “Just take a rest day. Your body is trying to tell you something”. In most cases I would agree with you; however, I’ve been working out & training long enough to know when my body needs an extra rest day and when I want a rest day & don’t feel like doing anything. Yesterday was one of those “want” days. Training was the last thing I wanted to do. It didn’t help that it was also a beautiful day in Northern Virginia - the sun was shining, it was warm, birds were chirping, etc.

So on my drive home I was still being totally indecisive & at one point I’d made the decision to go home & told myself to stay firm on that decision, but then I reached the exit that takes me to the box….doubt set in & before I knew it I was taking the exit at the last minute. I was completely annoyed with my choice as soon as I made it, getting more annoyed as I pulled into my parking spot & making the walk inside. I immediately said, “OK fine, you’re here; skip the squats, do some of the lifts & then roll out”. Of course that didn’t happen. As I started rolling out, stretching & running through my warm up, I was quickly in that mind set of completing all of the programming. At the end of my evening & after I had entered all of my results in Wodify this was my view:

For those that aren’t familiar with Wodify, the gold stars resemble a PR for that lift.

So needless to say, I was pleased with the outcome of my training last night. Yes I had moments of feeling unmotivated & not confident but those days are common & will come up. What matters is that you take a deep breath, keep your head up & push through anyway. You’ll never regret the work you put in. It’s the work you don’t do that will haunt you. 

Progress

While I was searching through my phone the other day I came across an old Youtube video of me doing pull ups. The video was taken when I first started crossfit, maybe 3 or 4 months into it (possibly longer). I must’ve watched it 5 times. At first I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even want to look at myself (they were that ugly); then I started laughing because I looked so uncoordinated; and, then I came to the realization that I’ve come a long way from when I first started. I remember some of my coaches saying, “You’ve got this donkey kick thing going on – you gotta lose that.” Yeah, you think?? (insert sarcasm) At the time I didn’t know how to get rid of it, except practice…lots of practice. My friend, Kateri, & I would go in on Sundays for open gym & work on our weaknesses. Pull ups were obviously one of the first things on my list. I remember having a bittersweet feeling when Kateri got hers before I had mine. Yes, I was happy for her (obviously) but secretly I wanted to push her off the bar. I know, I know – such a horrible thing to say but I’m being honest! What can I say, I’ve always been a competitive person. I still love you, lady. =)

Now for your viewing pleasure, my pull up video:

Another fun fact for you is that before this video was taken, & in my first months of crossfit, I was using a band to assist with my pull ups.

I never thought when I started crossfit how much of a gymnastics background would be beneficial. Lifting weights comes relatively easy to me, the gymnastics side – not so much. My weakness list is filled with gymnastic movements, i.e. toes to bar, muscle ups, chest to bar pull ups, butterfly pull ups, bar muscle ups, handstand walks, etc. The list goes on & on. I’m sure these movements will always be weaknesses of mine & I’ll probably always have to devote time to practicing them - that’s the only way they’ll ever get better. There’s always something to work on.

After seeing my old pull up video, I decided to record the pull ups that I have now. Just so I, & all of you, can compare from past to present:

2 strict pull ups, 2 kipping pull ups, 3 chest to bar pull ups

As I said above, my chest to bars need more work & more efficiency, but I can still do my inefficient ones in a WOD for now. I’ve been trying for a while now to make my butterfly pull ups a regular movement in my WODs but they still mess up my shoulders & I sound like an 80-year-old woman the entire time with my cracking & popping. Apparently that’s normal, but it doesn’t sound normal to me. One of my goals is to be able to butterfly my pull ups & my chest to bars.

My point for sharing all of this with you is to say that everyone starts somewhere. Everyone progresses at their own time & at their own pace. Don’t lose motivation just because your progress seems slow. With hard work we eventually all get to where we want to be. We all want to speed up the progress so we can be great, but remember that the process is what we get our joy from. As long as you enjoy what you’re doing, none of us are losing anything – we’re only gaining.

Fit Snacks Part 2

I’ve come across more snack ideas & thought I’d share them with all of you. =)

Raspberries with mini chocolate chips – An easy way of curbing that sweet tooth for all of you chocolate lovers out there who are just like me. I’ve found that finding mini dark chocolate chips is incredibly difficult – Wegman’s almost never has them in stock; but, if you use one dark chocolate chip it’s the same thing.

Found on Instagram: @befitsnacks

Frozen yogurt cups – I have a stash of these in my freezer right now. =)

Step 1: Place cupcake liners on a baking sheet (I used 5 liners).

Step 2: Scoop 1 tbsp. to 1.5 tbsp. of Greek yogurt into liners (I used Dannon’s vanilla flavored yogurt).

Step 3: Top with favorite fruit, pressing the fruit into the yogurt so it freezes together (I have used blueberries, raspberries & strawberries – they’ve all been good).

Step 4: Place baking sheet in freezer until frozen.

Step 5: Allow cups to sit for a minute before peeling the cupcake liners off, otherwise they will stick. Remove all cupcake liners, place yogurt cups in a plastic baggie & store in the freezer.

Step 6: Let yogurt cup sit for about a minute before eating.

Found on Instagram: @befitsnacks

Almonds & mini M&Ms – My office manager gives these to us in little treat bags sometimes, which is exactly where I got the idea from. For every 2 almonds she adds 1 mini M&M. Use the same concept when eating. ;o)

Rice cake with peanut butter & fruit – This is my favorite snack at the moment. I eat one every day at work for my afternoon snack. My favorite topping is blueberries, but I’ve also used blackberries, raspberries & strawberries. I have yet to try it with banana slices but I plan to.

Step 1: Use 1 rice cake (I buy the Quaker gluten free, plain rice cakes). 1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter. 1 handful of desired fruit.

Step 2: Spread peanut butter on top of rice cake.

Step 3: Add fruit.

Found on Instagram: @morellifit

If you’re running short on time, you can always grab a Quest protein bar like I did this morning. The box that I’m consuming at home is the Strawberry Cheesecake flavor:

Found at Quest Nutrition: http://www.questnutrition.com/protein-bars/

Happy Snacking!

Plan B

As you already know, shit happens. It can come out of nowhere – completely blindsiding you. It can start with a bad day, a bad week, even a bad month. No matter how positive of a person you are, or are trying to be, you’ll always have that one day that you let it all get to you – let it consume you to the point that it takes away from your overall happiness. For me, those are the hardest days to navigate. Trying to stay upbeat & looking toward the bright side of things turns difficult. Reminding yourself that “everything happens for a reason” just doesn’t cut it.

I’ve learned that having an outlet on those overwhelmingly shitty days can be a life saver - whether you like to cook, bake, run, take a long walk, read, etc. Taking that time out & giving your mind a chance to breathe can be good for your overall health in the long run. Crossfit has always been an outlet for me but sometimes it can also add to the stress in my life, especially when competitions come around. Sometimes you just need to take a step back, reevaluate & eliminate one or two things. Believe it or not I do this often.

The reason for this post is to let you know that we all have days & that they will pass. Time will always pass - another day will come. In the meantime, maybe you’re having one of those days &, if so, maybe this quote will help you the same way it helps me:

“Plan A is always my first choice.

You know, the one where everything works out to be happily ever after.

But more often than not,

I find myself dealing with the upside-down, inside-out version.

Where nothing goes as it should.

It’s at this point that the real test of my character comes in…

Do I sink or do I swim?

Do I wallow in self-pity & play the victim or simply shift gears & make the best of the situation?

The choice is mine.

After all, life is all about how you handle plan B.”

-Suzy Toronto

Quest Love

It’s time to get excited! I have some awesome news to share. If you haven’t heard of Quest bars or Quest Nutrition you’ve obviously been living under a rock – so allow me to pull you into the daylight. Quest Nutrition is popular for their protein bars & if I’m being honest, I didn’t know they even existed until a friend of mine brought them into my world of snacking. Thanks, Amanda! =) Not only does Quest make amazing protein bars (I’m telling you they will change your life) but they’ve also created the greatest thing since sliced cheese – Quest Nutrition Cravings. The only current option is their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups:

Already sold? Click here

Do we really need any other option though? I’m sure they’ll come up with so much more but I’m absolutely giddy about these & I just can’t stand it! I’ve always been a sucker for anything chocolate & peanut butter. Reese’s are the first thing I reach for when I’m wanting sweets & then sadness immediately follows once I’ve eaten them all.

Once these were introduced to me I went out & bought my own stash. My friend, Kristen, is the one that I can thank for that; she also did something that day that’s just unheard of…she shared her peanut butter cups with me. I was just as shocked as you are. “You have to try these, Dani; there’s two…one for me & one for you”, she said. Obviously I’m grateful for the sharing, but deep down I was saying to myself that there was no way I would be sharing these with anyone. In case you didn’t know, Dani doesn’t share food. 

After visiting Quest’s website, I came across their other snacking options - chips. On top of being a sucker for sweets, I also love Lay’s sour cream & onion potato chips. When I spotted these beauties, I just about drooled on my shirt:

 Already sold? Click here

Do yourself a favor & click over to Quest’s website & checkout the “Nutrition Facts” on their products, I promise that you will be pleasantly surprised. =)

So now that I’ve shared the great news aren’t you just as excited as I am?!?!

Happy snacking!

 

Dare to be...

During some of my free time & scrolling through Instagram, I came across this & just had to share: 

"When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully

When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light

When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it

When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway

When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back

When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some

When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going

When times are tough, dare to be tougher

When love hurts you, dare to love again

When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal

When another is lost, dare to help them find the way

When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand

When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile

When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too

When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best

Dare to be the best you can

At all times, dare to be."

Crossfit Open

If you’re a fellow crossfitter, you know that the 2015 Open started last Thursday (2/26). If you don’t know what the Open is, but are curious, here’s a little info for you:

“Anyone can sign up to compete in 5 workouts over 5 weeks and post their scores online. You can either perform the workout at a participating Crossfit affiliate where you will be judged in person, or you can film your full performance and upload it to a video-sharing site, i.e. YouTube. You are free to make as many attempts at the Open workout as you please. Your only limit is time. You have 4 days (96 hours) to complete the week’s workout and submit your best score.” – Crossfit Games

The Crossfit Open is a staple in the crossfit community. For the elite athletes that you see on TV, this is the first step to their road of making the Crossfit Games. The Open is the first stop, Regionals is second & last but not least the Games.

The first Open workout for week 1 was:

15.1

9-minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible):

15 Toes-to-Bar (115# for Men/75# for Women)

10 Deadlifts (same weights)

5 Snatches (same weights)

Then directly into…

15.1a

1 rep max Clean & Jerk

*6 minute time cap

Unsure of what a “toes-to-bar” or “snatch” is? Check out the standards video [here].

As some of you have noticed, I’m not signed up for the Open this year. I will be sitting this one out due to a foot injury. I greatly appreciated all of the text messages, Facebook messages & calls that I received after several of you noticed that my name wasn’t on the Open roster. I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason & this time isn’t any different. It has been hard watching my fellow teammates & box members compete, but I’m thankful that I still get to be their cheerleader & be asked to weigh in on strategy. Can’t wait to see how you all stack up – keep up the awesome work! =)

Assume the position.