The parable of the rope ...and from where I was.....to where I am going.

Hard to believe that Fitness Elevated is done. What a crazy wild ride.

Jason getting his broad jump on- our only male competitor this year!

Stole this pic from CF22 -Girl POWER right here!!

 

It was a crazy programmed event but at the end of the 2 days. I look back and I have ZERO regrets. I felt more mentally prepared for this comp than I have any other comps. I may not have finished as well as last year but I have to face reality. I am so much better than I was but I still have so far that I can go. I did some things this year that I am so happy about- I pr'd my pull ups, my bench press and rowed like I had somewhere to be. I am so happy how it all ended up for me. I would have loved to have placed...but with so few competitors in the Masters women...hard to know how you really measure up.
Thanks to all the athletes that competed with me from CF22- the weeks leading up to this event were crazy. Riley- so fun to watch someone competing- at 16 years old just wants to compete- doesn't really give 2 shits about much else-Christy, Amanda, Jason, Ash-Whoa! If I didn't love you before, I am absolutely crushing on you now. Thanks for being so supportive. And just getting out there and killing it! I feel that we represented CF22 they way they anticipated we should...classy, happy and strong.  Love you guys! And thanks to everyone who was able to make it out to support us. Its a big deal to have people there who are genuinely happy for you no matter how you finish!

Onto other important things. This week someone forwarded me a link on how effectively blog. Thanks for the info but sorry- I have way too many words to follow that format I am not trying to grow an audience the people who read my blog desire something more than a few words and honestly..this is MY outlet. Nuff said.

Onto my parable.

This story begins with a younger version of Joni. I believe this was 6th grade. Rope climb day. I am not sure if my Mom even remembers this but I remember it like was yesterday. Every time I look at the rope-this memory comes back to me. 116# in the 6th grade and being told you need to try and climb a rope. Probably one of the more devastating memories I have -other than running around the gym in my stocking feet, falling and breaking my 2 front teeth!
Anyway I remember thinking of a MILLION ways to get out of this day...I didn't get out of it. I do however remember attempt after failed attempt at trying to climb a rope. It never happened. I remember the despair I felt. I remember feeling embarrassed and so awkward as classmate after classmate got the rope climb.

Fast forward to the week of November 10th 2013 I am now 47 years old..still scared of that dam rope. Had a sense I probably needed to work on rope climbs. I actually got ONE rope climb MAYBE 2 months ago. ONE- all the way to the top. But after reviewing the programming sesh for FE...I had a sense that I needed to get this. I tried a few times unsuccessful at best. Then FINALLY something clicked..the j hook clicked. I finally realized it, I felt it, it made sense!!! And it happened. The next week-the jump happened I was able to jump- jhook and go. I can't even explain to you the exhilaration this ONE single movement brought me. Next comes game day at FE. I am told no jump...the ropes are about 2 feet off the ground and just simply pulling yourself high enough to J hook...I almost let me convince myself I couldn't do it. Then I looked up. My sweet kids Kolby and Jenna with my amazing grand baby were there- (Scarlet cheering me on)

my always supportive Mr. AND his mom were there- my family and all my CF22 friends..yelling at me.."you got this" and FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE I BELIEVED IT!! I practiced-somehow I was going to make it happen..AND IT DID!!! I got all my rope climbs. It was a big day for me!!
From a scared 6th grader...to a confidant Mother, Grandmother, girlfriend, friend etc. From where I was then to where I am going- I see ONLY progress and good things. I am so happy with the direction of my life and all the things I have going for me. 10 years ago if you would have told me this was where I was heading I would have NEVER have believed you.
That's my story...and I am stickin to it!


In an NUTSHELL- a big NUTSHELL and where I am going with all of this. With hard work brings results. I was not really blessed with much athleticism. My mind constantly thinks my body is doing something but the body is not. But one thing I have learned. If the desire to do something is there, if the will is there...it will happen. It may take a while ...but it will happen! It may not always look like you think it should look, every body is different but I truly believe with hard work the results will come!!!

THANKSGIVING WEEK IS UPON US!!!! What are your plans? Me? I am going to eat, drink and be thankful for everything that I am and everything that I have. I love Thanksgiving and I love the food of Thanksgiving. I will eat in moderation as I always do but for those of you needing to stay on track THE INTERNET IS AN AMAZING SOURCE!! USE IT. There are so many Paleo alternatives out there for Thanksgiving. Use it. This is not a time to feel helpless. I will give you a little hope by sharing a link I saw today that to be quite honest- is probably going to be something I make so that I can enjoy pie time with everyone else. I will eat of the turkey- the ham and the salad- might skip the potatoes-maybe have a roll or two- but I cant see myself indulging in pie if its not Paleo!! Can't wait to give this a try!!
http://fastpaleo.com/recipe/no-bake-triple-chocolate-pumpkin-pie-paleo-gluten-grain-dairy-egg-free/




Food this week is crazy simple. What do I have in my freezer for 3 days of food prep (which reminds me-3 DAY WORK WEEK YA'ALL!!!)
Salmon, Talapia and ground turkey- I have eggs, spinach- 1 sweet potato. done and done. grilling some fish tonight and I WILL make the rest spread out over the next 3 days.

Hope everyone has a great week filled with love, fun, food, family and all the things you desire.
Eat how you choose, be happy, humble and thankful.

For me...I am still going to eat clean and train dirty...its what makes me happy!

Croni OUT!



RUN..JUMP..PUSH..PULL..LIFT..CLIMB...CARRY....just comp prep..no big deal..

Just want to start by giving a HUGE shout out to my amazing nephew Braxton Gunther and the WX Wildcats. What an amazing year you all had. Do not look back with any regrets-look forward to what lies ahead for you all and your program. What a fun season - can't wait for next year. This photo really says it all. I can't even express how amazing it was to watch my nephew AS A SOPHMORE get out there and kill it this year. Auntie Pride right here!!

The past few months for me ( and several other suckas)  have been all about competition prep...well as much as one can prep while working for "the man" 60+ hours per week.

IN MY OPINION...as you see by my title post...we have done it all. If we aren't ready now...well we are. So there won't be any of that nonsense talking about not being ready. I think Tami Horan said it best to me. This is not verbatim but hopefully close- all you can do from this point is eat clean and try and get a good nights sleep...pretty simple eh? We are as ready as we can be. Nothing will be a surprise at this point.

Grandbaby business (this is gonna happen with every post!) How cute is this little munchkin??

 I invited her to dinner last night..she brought her parents...LAME!!! No just kidding. I am so in love with her I can't stand it. Sometimes, I find myself smiling for no apparent reason!! WTFF??? Not really like me but I can't help it. The mere existence of this amazing little human brings me SO MUCH JOY!!


As a Granny it's important to know which stores have great baby girl stuff..UMM TARGET!!! who knew. Found these little treasures yesterday. A darling little sweater dress with an awesome Christmas beanie!! She looks too damn cute in it the beanie! I love it!

Having the kiddos over for dinner was fun! I tried to conjure up my own take on Paleo-ish lasagna. Not everyone in my world likes to eat Paleo and I need to remember that sometimes. So here is my take on Paleo + dairy lasagna (recipe to follow pics)

I subbed butternut squash for lasagna noodles. Just sliced it on my ol hand held mandolin.

 

I peeled the squash cut the top and bottom off - scooped the junk out of the bottom and sliced it that way. I had quite a bit leftover that I didn't need to use that will be GREAT for this week! This is how it looked when I was building it up.

 

And the finished product ready to go in the oven looked like this! Yes don't freak that is cheese on there. Again-not all of my peeps eat Paleo. You have to consider all parties when you invite folks to dinner. Its pretty easy to keep everyone happy and still stay pretty much on track!





Today I remembered how absolutely happy I am in my kitchen. I live alone so when I get a chance to share dinner with others I like to make it a production! I love veggie trays mostly because it keeps me snacking on healthy stuff while I am waiting for dinner to finish. This one I added turkey sausage and some cheese. Yes I know orange cheese. Doesn't mean I have to eat it.

I wanted to try something different with the sauce for the lasagna so I added kalamata olives to the mix. This was a good call on my part. I did use just canned sauce-and of course I got the absolute cleanest Also added some tomato paste to give it that hearty savory tomato taste!




So here it is. My take on Paleo-ish + dairy Butternut Squash lasagna.

1 large Butternut Squash
1.25 Lb ground Turkey (you can use beef and or add Italian sausage as well)
1/2 onion - I used yellow because I had 3 huge ones I needed to use
oregano (dried or fresh)
1 T diced garlic (I buy this in a huge bottle at Costco-fresh is fine too)
basil (dried or fresh)
1 container of lowfat cottage cheese( not sure of the ounces..just the smaller of the 2 tubs)
2 eggs
Large can or jar of spaghetti sauce (I suck at this-not sure of the ounces again I just used hunts in a can its like .94!!)
1 4 oz can tomato paste
10-15 chopped kalamata olives pitted
mozzarella or any white cheese of choice (I bought just an bag of Italian blend already grated)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel and gut the butternut. Slice to your liking. Set aside.
In a sauté pan heat 2T olive oil or coconut oil-add onion and garlic-I sauté until the onion starts to brown slightly-add turkey or meat of choice and seasonings of choice and cook through, add spaghetti sauce, kalamata olives and tomato paste and mix well and simmer for a few minutes.

In a bowl mix, cottage cheese with the 2 eggs-basil and oregano. I sometimes add a little water so that I have plenty so I can layer this 2 times. Set aside.

Grease the bottom of a 12x9 pan layer squash on the bottom. Use 1/2 the cottage cheese mixture, half the meat mixture on top of that and sprinkle some cheese, add another layer of squash, cottage cheese mixture, then meat and top with cheese. You really don't need to use more than 1 cup of cheese( and that is being generous) and if you are eating strict Paleo just omit the cottage cheese mixture and cheese. Done and done.
Bake at 375 for approx. 45 minutes to an hour. This was delicious!!! tooting my own horn a bit..I know.

Whew- blog is long today..sorry folks ..only have time to blog once a week-have a lot to get in.

So its here. Fitness Elevated is Friday and Saturday. My menu for this week is simple, simple, simple-Clean, clean, clean. Made a HUGE batch of Kalua chicken. Just a reminder its simple-clean bacon 3-4 slices in the bottom of a crock pot, chicken and Hawaiian sea salt. Cook for 6 hours, shred and let sit.

Also- lots of eggs, lean protein -and you know me-NOT protein powder- extra protein in the way of real food. So I stocked up on eggs, turkey meat, avocados and sweet potatoes and of course a huge container of spinach.
Have you tried cooking your eggs this way yet??? So easy- a dozen in a muffin tin, pop in the oven 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool and done and done!
Don't judge my pans.

Whew. Well I think that's it. The next time I blog FE will be behind me and I will start focusing on preparing for "No Baby leave the stockings on!" So looking forward to this one as well. I think this one is going to be FUN!! FUN!!! FUN!!!

Well-here we are starting yet another week! Look for Paleo friendly Thanksgiving recipes week! Stuffed mushrooms and paleo pumpkin pie!!

In closing. I have to add this- my heart and soul belongs to CrossFit and this video says it all. Its long...but a good watch!!! Have a good week all...eat super clean...train really dirty...and rest when your body tells you it's time!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMapkdLW0ZI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUtcQ6TPwXAYgZ1Mcl3M1vng

You can call her Queen Bee...and a little integrity goes a long long way!

Scarlet "mean mugging"

Being a Granny is amazing. This little precious girl has my whole heart and soul. And watching my son and daughter in law parent in such an amazing, laid back and mature way has brought me so much joy.  The line from the song from Lorde comes to mind right here..."you can call me Queen Bee and I'll rule...!" She is so precious and so loved. I would be less of a Granny if I didn't share photos.

Precious in pink!!

 


 

My posting as of late...well its pretty much horrible.

Kudos to bloggers that can actually find time to blog. While work continues to pile up...on my plate I also am preparing to compete. The WODs for Friday have rolled out..kind of crazy. And knowing what I have to start with on Saturday? the MOST important thing I can do right now is listen to my body...be careful. I can't get all crazy and risk hurting myself before this event. I am excited mostly. Here is what I am looking at.
"The Combine"
Each athlete (all divisions) will complete the following
Max Broad Jump
500m row (immediately followed by 5K row.  See 5K row for details on scoring)
Monkey Bars + Max Chest to Bar Pull ups
Pro Agility Drill
Max Reps Bench Press:  Men's Elite 225, Men's Open 185, Masters U50 185, Masters 50+ 135.  Women's loads TBD.
On Saturday you'll open up with a nice relaxing 5K run followed by 3 more events which will be trickled out in a manner designed to cause equal measures of excitement and anxiety.  Happy training

Here is how I look at it. I am not the strongest, the fastest, the elite or even close to it. I am usually middle of the pack on my best day. BUT...I am doing something that 3 years ago...I would have never dreamt possible. And that's all. I am doing this for me. To show me that I can. I don't care if I win, I don't care too much if I am last and I am righteously placed last by athletes that just outworked me...I have accepted there are going to be some things this year..well...I am just not efficient at and again-I am fine with that. I won't go into it feeling defeated. NOPE...I will just go and give it what I can and be thankful and realize how blessed I am that I am healthy and can actually do this. So excited to be competing with my 16 year old niece Riley...hope she doesn't show me up too badly.

FOOD!! How do I fuel 2 weeks before a comp? Well. I just drop out any Paleo treats that I may be indulging in...no skiff of cream in the coffee after today, absolutely NO SUGAR and no cheat meals. I may step up my protein a little but I am not going to get too crazy. I wont use this time to introduce anything new into my eating I haven't tried before..call me superstitious or call me crazy...its just what I do.
This week super easy. Scotch Eggs and what I am calling deconstructed stuffed cabbage. Scotch Eggs I LOVE and such a great easy packing go to, full of protein and goodness!!! this is from Maria's blog Optimal Nutrition which is on my right sidebar.
http://optimalnutrition1.blogspot.com/2012/10/scotch-eggs.html?q=scotch+eggs

This other recipe-is not even a Paleo recipe -I saw this on FB and realized it was totally up my ally - It might be hard to read. But super simple recipes. I did make a few changes. First I seasoned my meat while I was cooking. I used ground turkey and turkey Italian sausage. I also added a small can of tomato paste to make it savory and I added about 1 1/2 cups of water. I love cabbage so I used a decent size head knowing it would make way too much!! I opted to crockpot it for 4 hours on high ummm delicious!

 

Kind of boring food week I know. But there aren't many bells and whistles when preparing for competing. My breakfast will remain unchanged - spinach with eggs and sausage-and a little side of avocado.

 

Now....to my last little rant...I am going to keep this brief..and I am not going to post what prompted this rant but I think that if you are struggling in the area...find a way to turn it around...trust me..people will respect you more.

 

in·teg·ri·ty

inˈtegritē/

noun

noun: integrity

1. 1.

   the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

Please people...have some integrity in your life. From the simplest things to the most difficult -in your food, in your movements, in your interactions with others...Just please PLEASE have some integrity. If you are borrowing someones recipe-even if you modify it...give them proper credit!! Don't cheat your rep counts or your movements in the gym,.,,,you will never grow that way and lastly..Just be who you are. No need to put on airs or act like someone you are not.

 

I choose to surround myself with people who posses this. I recommend if you aren't...try it..it makes life grand!

 

Well that's it. Its all I have after taking a week or so off from blogging. I want to be more consistent but right now time is limited. But I will be posting some clean eating for the Holiday ideas! Stay tuned-ALSO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GIVING CROSSFIT A TRY-COME WOD WITH ME AT CROSSFIT22 THIS WEEK FOR FREE!!! WHAT IS BETTER THAN FREE????????

 

Have a great week peeps-work hard- have integrity and eat clean..

Croni...out!