A few Midweek food tips....AND Meet Michelle-a pretty amazing before and still going!!

A few little food tips for the week.

I have been struggling a little with my food. NOT falling off the wagon completely, but maybe eating things that I really shouldn't be. Like 4 FLOUR tortilla shell in 2 days. I can't help it if on the weekend I sometimes let my hair down and have "Rancho Market" tacos. This consists of their tortillas, marinated chicken breast, cheese (yes cheese-what is a real taco without cheese?) and a little sour cream? I mean man oh man they are delicious. Anyway. I felt every bit of that little indulge when I ran on Sunday morning. So here is what I am doing this week. Remember all the meat you saw on my grill? Basically I am doing ADD SOMETHING GREEN. Meaning I do my lean meat and not so lean meat-and then add just a huge serving of green. I have kale, broccoli - cut up lettuce- you name it..I get as much green on my plate as I can possibly fit. So- that's it. My little tip- never WAIT a week or a month to get back on track START THE NEXT DAY! Lets be honest- you can't be all on all the time. Sometimes I read other peoples blog and feel like a huge slug. Some people are so matter of factual and so strict with their eating. Well. I choose to be focused yet live. We have to have some joy in eating right?
Also-a super delicious quick fuel tip. Hard boiled egg wrapped in prosciutto got this from my sis Liz. AMAZING! it will kill that hunger. Maybe not Rancho Market taco hunger but hunger just the same!

So excited to share this story. Pretty inspiring if you ask me.
MEET MICHELLE CLEMENTS:  Lets look at this before closely....
I met Michelle while wodding for a great cause Angels for Alex (RIP little buddy) I didn't really know her before this event but happy that I was able to meet her and even more so that I get to share her journey. I remember in the chaos of running the raffle that day- I saw Michelle more than a handful of times. I kept waiting for her to do the WOD in a heat that I could watch because instantly I felt compelled that I should cheer for her.
It's what I do...don't ask. Michelle was exposed to Angels for Alex through our dear friend Garrett Smith- she was more than happy to come out and support this cause because in her words "cancer sucks" She loves challenges and she loves giving back. She came to CF22 knowing what the WOD was going to be and knowing that she could do power cleans but wondered what about a REAL burpee?? She was determined that if Alex could fight cancer she could fight a burpee. She adds "who would of thought this white girl could jump?" Had me laughing. She adds that she did way better than she thought she would do and added that CAN'T is just not in her vocabulary. I add this picture because it was so inspiring to watch my sister Liz cheer and encourage Michelle through this WOD.
So that's how I met Michelle-Now...again- Meet Michelle

Michelle's journey and story begins in 2010. Michelle weighed 339 lbs she was wearing a size 4X (52-54) . She states "I was obese, but I always thought I was normal..." She decided it was time to make a change. She started her weight loss journey by using USANA products. (remember my intro my blog? it won't always be just Paleo and CrossFit....) People thought she wouldn't follow through (I find this crazy but I didn't know that Michelle) So she proved to them she would. She started boot camp. She started by going 2-3 times and week -she says it was hard and she was out of shape. She chose boot camp it was different than your typical gym. No one was judging you-just people pushing you and cheering for you. It was here she was exposed to some squatting and burpees but not really things like pull ups and heavy lifting. She did boot camp for about 8 months and then came CrossFit (so I lied...enter CrossFit-how else do you think I meet these crazy inspiring people?) She wondered  in her words "what in the heck is CrossFit?" To her CrossFit seemed difficult but she decided to try it anyway. Starting CrossFit she often wondered how on earth she was going to learn the moves. But clearly...she is learning them. She has been CrossFitting for 14 months now and she WODS at West Jordan CrossFit.
I asked Michelle if she could remember her first WOD. I love to ask people this question. Most people have no idea. But one thing everyone remembers is how hard it was. For a while anything with running about killed her. (I have to use her words and not mine because its really quite funny) and she often said "I hate running". She remembers being on a PVC pipe forever just learning technique and longer still working on pullup progressions.

I asked Michelle what her eating "style" was. I like to ask people because so may people are doing so many different things. It doesn't have to be all Paleo or Zone for people. It doesn't have to have a name or a million resources you can look up. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want. She is still using USANA products. So whey protein shakes, protien and veggies and some fruit and she adds " who would have thought I would eat a carrot EVER and not eat cheese everyday?" She does do the Paleo challenges which I am assuming are through her box. and she adds "if you eat crap, your workout is crap"

 

Knowing that Michelle just did her first CrossFit Open I kind of wanted to know how that experience went for her. This was the best thing she has done in years. She said that had to talk people into doing to Open (I feel your pain) That she told them for how hard they work are they not interested in seeing where stand in the world? No matter what she was doing, every Wednesday she was excited to see what the WOD would be. Before the first WOD came out she was so nervous just hoping, as we all did, that it was going to be something she could do then realized, she can do anything and not to worry about it. So the first WOD - burpees and snatches- she got right to work setting her goal to get 100 pound snatch. She sent many messages during the open to many people just reaching out for some much needed confidence (I am happy to say I was one of them) she added a gymnastics WOD to learn some stretching and after each announcement she envisioned the WOD. She would start 2 hours prior to warm up fueling her bod and getting  herself mobile. She loved the support that she got. She felt that the heavy lifting was the FUN part. She only redid 2 of the WODS 1 and 3. As the WOD's got harder she knew she could do the heavy weight but the wod with chest 2 bar got her. She never gave up. She sums it up with "funnest time ever" and "next year I have have chest 2 bar and toes 2 bar and pull ups" then tells ME to watch out because she will be in the Master division in 2 years..Sorry Michelle and maybe thank heavens I won't have her chasing me-sadly we will never compete in the same division in the Open....BUT MAYBE (as I throw out a challenge to her) Masters at Fitness Elevated eh??

Now my favorite two questions. And it's the one that I really don't feel like I should use my own writing on.
What are you desiring to gain most from the changes you are making-
She wants to inspire people to get healthy, to love themselves to know anyone can do what she is doing. She wants to be fit and hold her head up high with 100% confidence. She adds-she loves to PR..

HOW has your life changed? I am going verbatim on this "Funny you should ask. I went from being the girl locked in a closet that no one ever noticed and now I am the inspiration to alot of people. So strange when people say that to me. I was like what are you talking about? all I do is what you do. I never thought of it an anything else. My body is forever changed. Now I really notice and I like mirrors a little more. I love to do pull ups just to see my muscle (nothing wrong with that eh?) I am much more positive and I like to  help others get through WODS. I can do 2 WODS in a row sometimes and I have a way to live my life better and to live it to the fullest everyday. There is so much I can say and the people around me at my box and other boxes that support me make it all worth it."
Michelles journey is far from being over. It's always funny when I ask people where they want to be..Some are hesitant to nswer but not Michelle, and not surprising. She currently weighs 228- YES DO THE MATH!! OVER 100# LOST SINCE 2010. She bought a pair of pants a month and a half ago- size 20- remember her starting size was 52-54. And now that she has implemented running with Garrett and did a Paleo challenge, sadly her new pants are too big and she is in a 16-18.

Her goal is to get to 160  my the end of the year. she says "not rushing it. CrossFit is like a roller coaster of pure strength. I have more mental strength than muscle mostly"

If Michelle could give 1 piece of advise to others it would be "Never give up- make a goal, do a challenge and make your HEALTH work living. We are all in it together" Just believe in yourself and others will to.

I had this all typed up and ready to go but I feel like I would be shorting Michelle if I didn't share this message she sent me today

Michelle Clements (in her words folks)

In two months something incredible happened I just measured yesterday. I lost 7 inches in my hips. 2 inches in my chest 3 inches almost 4 in biceps.thigh I lost 5 inches. Calf 2 inches and belly 3 . Freaking amazing it was the open ha ha probably done of it. Paleo challenge and Garrett's running and all my usana stuff totally awesome

Thanks so much to Michelle for taking the time to share with me. I feel inspired to quit my damn bitching and absolutely feeling the need to step my game up-I am not even going to wish you luck on getting to your goal because you don't really need itttt. Knowing you- I envision you getting there before the end of the year! I feel like a better person simply because I know you!



 

G-G-G-G-Grill it...all of it..a sudden change in my intentions...

Its a crazy day for blogging for me. I started with a food only blog in mind. Keeping my other stuff for later but then something happened and I read something that changed my path today. So FOOD first then philosophy.

Yes- he is upright-she is upside down- was a long day for her!

FIRST...I want to say congrats to my son and his sweet wife for getting into their first home. I can't speak enough to how proud I am of these two. I never cease to be amazed at how they balance things. It's amazing to watch and honestly it confirms that perhaps even though at times I felt that I wasn't the best example or the best Mom.. that maybe through all the fight and such...I did something so right because my son is the cats meow...
SECONDLY....LOVE ME SOME SUNDAY SPRINTS...OUCH MY SHINS!! Loved the sequence today. Thanks Matty- you NEVER disappoint!

CHURCH!!!

 FOOD STUFF!!! Holy Bountiful Baskets this week!!! It did not disappoint. The thing I have learned with doing co-op produce is that you have to take the good with the bad. GOOD meaning- lots of veggies an fruit you love- bad...sometimes you get potatoes and corn. Thank God I have neighbors they do not find it weird that I give them food. This week I felt the need to add on the herb pack-which holy cow- I text my entire family trying to get rid of some so that I wouldn't waste any. My advise - if you are one person or a small family maybe find someone you can share add ons with. I added on the juicing pack, which I was so happy about- kale, lemons, beets, Italian parsley, carrot-etc etc. But this was way too much stuff. I am going to have to get really creative to not have it go to waste. The fruit is amazing- strawberries, bananas, apples, mini watermelon, and mangoes.

 
 The 1/2 and 1/2 basket was absolutely worth every bit of the 16.00 I paid for it. AND as ALWAYS- I went right to work washing and cutting up and bagging everything, and of course planning my menu in my head. I realized right away that I had a TON of meat in my freezer. This happens probably once a month. I just grab whatever remnants I have and I just try and make a menu from there. This week I feel pretty lucky. I had some ground turkey, some turkey Italian sausage- chicken thighs and some trout that my Pops gave me. That makes for a really good easy menu. I got broccoli, kale, lettuce celery and spinach. What a perfect combo of green to make my life simple this week. So that's it folks. Here is my simple menu for this week- Bacon Wrapped chicken thighs GRILLED, Lemon Dill Trout GRILLED, Jonis Greek Burgers- GRILLED and 2 and 1/2 random Italian sausage-grilled. No real recipes or links folks. These are all just me winging it.
BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN THIGHS- Exactly as it sounds. I through the thighs in a bowl- season with sea salt- cracked pepper- greek seasoning and a little touch of cayenne pepper. Wrap a piece of bacon around it real tight- and GRILL until done.
LEMON DILL TROUT-Exactly as it sounds season both sides with lemon, lemon pepper, a little sea salt and pepper and fresh dill. GRILL until done.
JONIS GREEK BURGERS- I like to think of this as my own but who knows where I got it from- to you turkey burger add- 10 chopped kalamata olives, a little garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt and pepper, greek seasoning- and for those who indulge in a little dairy from time to time as I do - approx. 2T feta cheese. GRILL until done.
My grill looked amazing- I love grilling season- I put everything I can on the grill including my veggies from time to time. I do the same thing with my cooked meats as I do with my veggies. I bag them up so they are super easy to pack. This week I opted to make guacamole - 3 ripe avocados, just added some chopped fresh jalapeno-rotel tomatoes (about 1/2 can) a little garlic and lime and there you have it a delicious add on for anything, burgers, eggs, top off your chicken. You can never go wrong with this. Also- boiled a dozen eggs and thawed out frozen prosciutto - this is a GREAT before WOD boost- just wrap one slice of prosciutto around an egg and you are good to go. Got that idea from my sis Liz. Then as always- baked some bacon- I am set for the week. Shouldn't have to do much.

 

 

This NOW brings me to what derailed my food only blog for today. I sometimes struggle with feeling like I just don't measure up. That I work so hard yet the progress I make isn't quite what I would like it to be. Today. I saw this posted on FB and as I was reading it. I was like AMEN SISTER...AMEN. This is directly from the Shoreline CrossFit site and I was so moved by it I feel the need to share it in it's entirety.

 

"Your Fiercest Competitor

 You’ve gotta love CrossFit.  I’ve been at this game for five years now and I’m still having epiphanies.
In case you didn’t know, I’m slightly competitive…and by slightly I mean I will compete with you in who can do dishes faster, rake leaves faster, get to the front door faster; for Pete’s sake, I once almost decapitated poor Jenna Lennon in a fierce game of Taboo.
To say I understand the nature of competition is an understatement.  I’ve always encouraged my athletes to pick someone in their class and attempt to beat them in the WOD.  In fact, I usually announce the best time of the day for the WOD before it begins.
Lately, I’ve been reshaping my thinking…
You see, when I was introduced to CrossFit, it was a much smaller sport.  For a girl, I was considered strong.  I mean, most Rx’d workouts called for women to push 65 lbs, and in a few cases, 95.  A 155 lb clean and jerk was pretty decent, and you were a MONSTER if you could deadlift over 300 lbs as a female.
Here we are 5 years later.  My lifts still inch up little by little, but I realize that as this sport becomes bigger and bigger, it becomes more and more saturated with elite athletes; athletes that were elite before they even began CrossFit.  To exemplify: DP participated in competition at CrossFit New England a few months back where one of the WODs was a one-rep max clean and jerk, and girls that were jerking 195 were coming in below 10th place in this WOD!
What does this mean?  Does it mean that these little Bambi legs and crooked back throw in the towel and stop competing?  Does it mean that I never again aspire to be like someone who is faster and stronger than me on the whiteboard?
Absolutely not.
However, to achieve true success in a faster period of time, I need to stop focusing on beating the other girl and beat this girl (thumbs pointing at me).
After the conclusion of this year’s Open, John Lynch, Master’s competitor who placed 3rd in the world, made this statement on Facebook regarding WOD 13.5:
“I hammered out 154 reps for 13.5 on Thursday. I didn’t need to repeat it as my overall standing wouldn’t change, even if I got 230 reps. I decided to repeat it anyway today to see how much my mind could push through the pain and exhuastion my body was experiencing. The point here was not to move higher on the leaderboard, but to compete with myself. That should be our ultimate goal for the Open. Find that higher threshold of our physical and psychological limits. We all emerge stronger because of it and can apply it to all aspects of our life. Needless to say, I managed 162 reps and then puked for about 10 minutes afterwards. It’s fair to say that today, I reached that threshold“.
Well played, Dr. Lynch…
You see, if ALL we do is compare ourselves to others, we may not experience progress.  In John’s case, it is because he is one of the best in his division and gym, but for many of us, it can be because it is too discouraging and not an accurate target of where we need to be aiming.
For example, sure I would love to full snatch 155 like young Meg Testa.  As compared to her, my snatch is weak.  But I am not Meg.  There are a lot of pieces to her that I do not share (power output, coordination, speed, flexibility, strength, and THOSE LEGS, etc…).  It would be unfair to me to compare my lifts to hers.  They should only be compared to my previous lifts.
We are all so different.  To truly measure progress, we can only measure ourselves with ourselves.  You are your fiercest competitor."

I guess you could say that I had an AH HA moment when I read this. So here is my take on this for me for this week. I am no elite athlete. I am  just me. And honestly, my only competition is me. Each day I need to give just a little more than I did the day before. I won't always have good days where I PR or RX but I will have days where I walk away being completely satisfied with what I gave for THAT day. And then realizing as always...tomorrow is a new day, a new opportunity to try again.
Here's wishing everyone a great week- eat clean- an train dirty. I do have an awesome before and after story I will be sharing later this week- watch for it!!
Closing with this!! LOVE IT

 

CRONI...OUT!



 

Thankful for my filter.Sunday Sprints a necessary evil..and FOOD!!

Lets start with a funny...might set to the mood for anyone who might be offended...

I love that I come to this blog and post...save it and walk away and then come back a few days later and be thankful that I didn't publish a post. Thankful that sometimes...I know when to walk away..I call it my "filter"!
Friday I was on a rampage. Here is just a quick summary of what would have been a really long rant. Haters are gonna hate, what works for some people doesn't work for everyone. No need to try and shove your haterade down peoples throats. Can't we all just live in a world where you are entitled to do your own thing and to be happy and not have people constantly trying to belittle what you do to make up for their own shortcomings and insecurities? That's all..Done and done.

Staples I picked up this week. HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT WHAT YOUR STAPLES ARE YET?? I grabbed blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, avocado, salad mix and BEETS!!! I am going to simply slice the beets thin and grill them and throw them with my meatballs as a side or add them into my salads! So stoked Costco has these-thanks Jo for the tip.

SUNDAY SPRINTS!!! Holy crap! This is saving me from a life of sin! And I mean that in a good way. This is my church, my worship, my outlet from a world that sometimes makes me unhappy. Sprints are great. I don't LOVE to run. I make no secret about that. And even though I get lapped..and I am usually the last one to finish, I can get out of my head for that 30 minutes to an hour and honestly kind of get focused for the week. Not everyone has a schedule that allows them to do this. I won't  judge you for that. I have a pretty simple life. But if you can fit in one day that you do something non GYM related...you will thank yourself later. It doesn't have to be running, it could be going on a hike or taking a bike ride etc. Just a suggestion. Do something out of your "norm" it is completely refreshing!!! (p.s. if you want to do the sprints on your own time Matt does post what we do each week-simply "like" the Sunday Sprints FB page and there you go)

NEXT SUBJECT!! TREATS!!! Something I do not really advocate treats. And it's not because I am CRRAAZZZYYY it's just that my body processes things different than some. HOWEVER.... if I am going to have treat...umm Paleo is the way to go. Unless you believe that Paleo is bad for you...then go ahead a knock yourself out with some other thing you believe to be a necessary evil. These "cookies" absolutely do the trick. I bag them 2 each in a snack bag and freeze them. If you HAVE to have treats this is absolutely the way to go! Love them!

 
 

 

http://fastpaleo.com/the-best-paleo-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Going to be brief with food matters. Opted to grab some "easies" and then cook a few things as well- easies meaning prebagged salad. Those of you who know my eating style know that I do NOT consider some lame salad a "meal" it has to be packed with protein to get me through- meaning meat, nuts and seeds and fats. I LOVE LOVE this salad from Costco...probably have mentioned before that the dressing is GARBAGE..I throw it out. I also love this mix from Walmart. CRAZY I know- again- I sometimes use a little of the dressing- comes with ENORMOUS croutons..when I am feeling froggy I eat them and bacon bits as well. Here was my lunch today- salad with leftover pork tenderloin from last night.

I absolutely love these meatballs. Today I opted to add a little red pepper flakes into my garlic, artichoke and onion mixture. DELICIOUS! I also do not use dried parsley- fresh is really so much better!

http://paleomg.com/turkey-basil-artichoke-meatballs-egg-free-nut-free/









Last but not LEAST! Sometimes you get a rare opportunity where someone just offers up a recipe that you might find sounds amazing! This happened to me Thursday evening. Jason told me about his Shepard Pie creation and this is so up my alley. The recipe is below and THANKS AGAIN Jason for allowing me to share. My few mods I made? I subbed chopped asparagus for the peas or beans- and I added a little garlic, coconut milk and just a few tablespoons of greek yogurt to the cauliflower mixture (you might recognize this from twice baked cauliflower that I am so obsessed with-hence the reason as a "staple" I have THREE heads of cauliflower)

Jason's Paleo Shepherd's Pie
Steam:
2 heads of Cauliflower until really soft
Saute:
2Tbs Coconut oil or bacon grease
1 onion
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
2-4 garlic cloves minced
When the carrots are still a litte crunchy but getting close to soft add in
1lb ground beef
add spices, I used 1Tbs oregano, 1Tbs smoked paprika, some garlic and onion salt/powder. You can use whatever you want.
brown the beef
In a separate bowl mix
1/2 cup of beef/chicken/veggie broth
1-2Tbs of tapioca flour (or corn starch, not paleo) - this it to make a gravy type mix if you dont care about that then dont worry about the broth and flour
Add gravy mix to beef and veggies and cook until it reaches the desired thickness (I like thick)
In a 13x9 pan add the cooked beef and gravy mix
On top layer 1-3 cups of peas or green beans (I like a lot)
Take the steamed cauliflower and blend it until smooth and pour over the beef and veggies.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 350.
I also broiled for about 5 minutes to brown the top but that isn't necessary.
EAT!

This is absolutely delicious! I had it for dinner tonight.

A few other things- how FUNNY is this celery??? The Biggest Loser celery??

I think the past week was a rough one. Who besides me is looking forward to a week with maybe not so bad news??? I saw this posted and I had to copy it. I think sometimes WE THINK we know where we are going...but do we really? For me..right now? my life is a constant journey- full of changes..ups and downs..good things and not so good things. But ONE thing I do know..Is that I know where I want to be and each day I am just simply pushing to get there!!! Here's wishing everyone a GREAT week! May your eating be clean and your training be DIRTY!!!

Hiatus in Vegas...Sadness about Boston..Heroes WOD's...sigh

I don't have too much to post about! It's crazy when I don't cook on Sunday I don't have much to say. I can say this. Vacations throw me completely off my game. I eat like crap, I sleep like crap...why are Vacations so fun?? Because for the first time EVER, I didn't take my laptop and work. THAT WAS FUN!

HIATUS IN VEGAS: We went to Vegas this weekend. It was nutso. This trip we did something much different than we have ever done before. WE WENT TO SHOWS!! You see so many random things in Vegas...Like this....

This needs no caption.....

Des and I! Miss her!

But it all started with a great WOD with my girl Desi- Thanks to Summerlin CrossFit for your hospitality. Such a great group of nice people. A great WOD - 20 min amrap that about knocked me out to get my vacation started the right way.

My view from the NON VIP seats..not too shabby eh?

Saturday night we went to the RIO to see the MJ experience. HOLY CRAP!! First of all the layout was kind of weird but honestly there wasn't really a bad seat in the house. And I thought maybe it would be cheesy but it was very well done..I didn't want it to end..lame I know. I miss MJ. I am so thankful that my sweetie was tolerant enough to sit through it. Shhh...I think he was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it more than he led onto.


Sunday night we went to Mystere' WOW..what a display of athleticism. It was completely entertaining. There were two guys that basically balanced on each other holding handstands amongst other things..constantly moving..for me? I was completely enthralled. 2 years ago..or before CrossFit..maybe not so much I would have been impressed but now even more so. You couldn't really take pictures so this is the best I could do. I think that if you are going to Vegas shows are the way to go. So much fun!

While on my mini vacation- I heard the SAD news of the goings on in Boston. This is what I have to say WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE???? Why are these things happening? Why would someone do this? I was heartbroken for not only the people observing but the runners as well. I don't love to run. Lets be honest. But I have trained and ran a lot of races. And the work and preparation that goes into something like this ...it breaks my heart and I send my thoughts and prayers to all that were impacted.

I was lucky enough to get home yesterday early enough to WOD and get to Oly class. I got 1 rest day on my vaca. Plenty enough for me. I LOVE oly class and because I only get to make it every other week I hate missing it. I snapped this pic last night- Coach Chiu right in the center of the madness..look at all the weights lying around. Love this moment...love this class!

This brings me to my last subject. HEROES WODS. Today we did a 45 minute WOD. This is what I love about a Heroes WOD besides everything that it stands for. You know going into them- they are going to be brutal, grinders, grueling. And for me personally...Its the ONE time I can't complain. I think about my brother Matty- and his service, I think about all of our men and women still serving that often times are forgotten. And I feel blessed. I can show up to a box and WOD in the comfort or the discomfort at times. But what I am not doing is sleeping in a tent somewhere, or in a makeshift shelter nor am I running carrying an injured comrade to safety. These are the things I think about when I do a heroes wod. I recommend you try it sometime. Go to a place where you can push beyond what is making you uncomfortable and think about.

I do have ONE little food tip and I will end with that. I love twice baked cauliflower- I talk about it often. Tonight- I didn't really have time to do all the prep and still eat at a reasonable hour. So I grabbed some trout from my Pops. Grabbed a HUGE head of cauliflower. Boiled it down 15-20 minutes. I added a little sea salt and fresh cracked pepper- red pepper flakes and greek seasoning. Boiled it until it was super mushy (yes this is an official cooking term) got out my handy dandy potato masher that hasn't seen any action in some time. Added a little coconut milk and garlic. Mashed it to a little bit of a chunky consistency and there you have it. Delicious mashed cauliflower!

Hope everyone is having a GREAT week. Food prep will be Sunday again as normal...Everyone needs a little vaca right??

F#CK CANCER!!!! and other matters of the heart.....

I will warn you before you read. This blog post is void of anything food related and less pics than I ever post...it's fitting for today.

Today I post with a very heavy heart. And in true Croni fashion I will apologize to my Mother for the title of this post. But I mean it with every fiber of my being.

As some of my readers may well remember, at CF22 we did a fundrasier for Alex Terry. A courageous young YOUNG man battling cancer. Today this valiant soldier lost his fight. I LOVE LOVE THIS PICTURE that his Mom posted of him. I signed one of those capes and this picture just touches my heart!

I look at this picture and I am even more in awe at what this sweet family had to endure.

This week my son turned 22. He is happy, healthy with a wife and a child on the way. I can't even begin to imagine not having the moments I have been able to have with him. My heart is so heavy for Alex's sweet Mom. That her moments with him ended so prematurely. Tears me up inside. So thankful for moments like this. I love this kid so much. And couldnt imagine being without him.

I remember when my brother passed away. Although it wasn't cancer related I remember just thinking over and over again how a parent should never have to bury a child. EVER.

In the past few weeks here is how cancer has impacted my daily life.
1. A former employee/co-worker of mine finds out he has cancer, melanoma. 16 tumors on the brain and on the lungs and liver as well.
2. A co worker quietly passes from cancer that she learned she had maybe just over a year ago.
3. Alex passed today.

Today, I am grateful for many things but what I am most grateful for is my strong upbringing in a faith that helps me to understand life and death. I don't feel like even being funny tonight but yes people, just because I dont go to church and such doesn't mean I have turned my back COMPLETELY on my faith.

Today I have to hold strong to my family and friends and good health. It doesn't take something this tragic to make me realize how truly blessed I am. Everyday I wake up and breathe - as my Pops always says...I woke up today and I still have 2 arms and 2 legs. And I am thankful.

I get so mad when I think and hear about cancer. It has impacted and affected us all in some way. And what is so infuriating..we can't do SHIT about it. To be honest. Inside my little fairy dream..I had hoped that if all of these strong CrossFit athletes got together and we wodded then maybe just maybe God could possibly show sweet Alex just a little mercy. But that was not the case. Regardless of how hard we all worked and how just God truly is...thinking we could conquer cancer with a wod..well was  MY  dream. But reality has been kicking my ass the past few weeks. I have a pretty good grasp on how blessed I am. And I have been trying so hard to not get caught up on the little daily things that seem to irritate me...a work in progress.

We all grieve different ways. Today I was a little overcome. So many emotions when my brother shared a text with me today that Garrett Smith recieved from Alex's Father. It was more than I could take. I am not some super huge crier and I ABSOLUTELY try not to wear my heart on my sleeve-I try and act like I am so damn tough...but inside..I am a marshmellow ESPECIALLY when it comes to family matters. And I am super happy that no one at work noticed the tears just flowing from the mean girl today.

Something I did today that maybe eased the pain just a little. I coach at CF22 on Thursdays. Its a crazy wierd class to coach because it is open gym but today was so fun. I felt the need to do something ANYTHING to calm my troubled heart and mind. So before we started the clock, we had a minute of silence for the Terry family. It felt great to stop for a moment and just reflect.

In closing I want to share what was posted on the Angels for Alex Facebook page today (hope this was ok to share, I simply couldn't help it)... get some tissue. You will need it!
Hold your loved ones closer tonight than you ever have-and not to be cliche' but tomorrow certainly is never promised...

"Today we lost our brave Alex. We thought we had a little more time but today we witnessed a miracle. Not the miracle we wanted from the beginning but the one we have been praying for of late. That he would go peacefully, not in pain before the horrible tumor attacks his senses and leaves him trapped. He knew it was close. He spent his last night with his mother stroking his cheek. As he sat on the couch this morning he asked for everyone to be with him. He called his little brother Charlie over, kissed him and gave him his beloved blanket. He handed his medicine back to his mother instead of taking it like he always does. He looked ahead at something we couldn't see and went to sleep peacefully. It was too soon and not what we expected but it is a blessing. Angels were with him and now they rejoice at his homecoming. We love you Alex and will carry you with us always. You went from being my son to becoming my hero."

Reflections of The Open and FOOD!

Well...the Open is over. I can't believe it. Looking back now it went so fast. I ended up ok. I have alot to work on to be where I want to be next year. Kind of formulating a plan now. Finished 18 in the Southwest and 234 Worldwide. Am I happy? EH. I am ok. Always wishing for better!! 
 

Love my Bountiful Baskets

Started getting Bountiful Baskets again. A little light on veggies this week but still enough to get me through. ADVICE if you decide to do this. ALWAYS wash and cut your produce when you get it home. It just makes life so much easier!

Food is all washed cut up and bagged

Going to get food stuff out of the way. This might be a boring read for anyone who has ZERO interest in my CrossFit stories. So I will post food first then tell my story of the Open.

Since I am leaving on Saturday for Vegas it will be the first time to put a swimsuit on in a while...going to stay on point with my food this week. I plan on relaxing a bit in Vegas. NOT GOING CRAZY. It's just really hard when we fly to get the right foods. When we drive ...yes we pack a cooler with healthy food.
This week is going to be CRAZY BUSY for me. My baby boy turns 22 this week - going to have some bday stuff going on. I can't brag enough about how proud this boy makes me. He is boing to be a Dad, trying to finish school, and buying a house. Its crazy because I can remember the day he was born like it was yesterday! I am proud that in spite of all the trials and tribulations he has and is still facing in his life- he stood firm it what he believed in and made it a point to make something of himself! LOVE YOU SON!

So- This week looks like this. Had to make salsa for my nieces 16th Bday party so of course the batch was EXTRA large. I love my fresh salsa on my eggs...on anything really. Breakfast it going to be my staple-only I will be swapping out my spinach and hitting the kale hard. So breakfast-so simple- 3 eggs (1 whole 2 egg whites-I do switch this up from time to time and do 2 whole and 1 white-just depends on my fats) handful of kale and a lean protien-opting for chicken sausage. Super easy to cook even if all you have access to is a microwave.

Next- I saw this recipe on PaleOMG and I couldnt resist it. I really tried not too eat too many things like this during the open. I did pretty well. Last year I gained almost 10 pounds during the open. This year I lost 2. Not trying to lose any weight. Super happy where I am at. Just took my fats way to low. Anywhoo...So I did make these and I am tabling making the biscuits and gravy recipe. The one adjusment I did make because I wasn't cooking bacon and I don't save my fat I just subbed 2T of olive oil and I did have to cook them just a little longer. These are delicious! I am adding the biscuits and gravy recipe as well. You use the biscuits from the below recipe for it. I really spiced these up- they are a little on the sweet side with the sweet potato and coconut flour- wondering if you make them with almond flour how that might taste.

http://paleomg.com/shrimp-and-jalapeno-sweet-potato-biscuits/
http://paleomg.com/biscuits-and-gravy/

I made a small scotch meatloaf  (recipe posted last Sunday) cut the recipe kind of in half -made this small because I don't really want to have a bunch of food I have to freeze.
And thank heavens for Fast Paleo- if you haven't "liked" their FB page yet-I recommend you do so. They have recipes posting all day so I decided to give this one a try. If you have never worked with fish sauce..just be careful..the recipe calls for a few drops and that is all you need. Learned that the hard way last year! Also my Pops gave me a couple of trout filets and I cooked them as well. I am so ready for the week. Plenty of fruit and veggies from my Bountiful Basket. All I had to do was cook some meat!

http://fastpaleo.com/thai-mini-meatballs/

REFLECTIONS ON THE OPEN:

I am going to be brief. I have so much to say about this experience and what it does to you physically and emotionally. There are 100's of pictures I would love to post to really be able to sum up how I feel. Of all the pics of me, and again-there are a lot. For some reason this is my absolute favorite one. And here is why. Going into 13.5 I was willing to settle for 30 reps. In fact. Going in to each WOD I was willing to settle for far less than I should have. This pic kind of sums it all up. I struggle with chest to bar. I was bound and determined to make every rep count. I had to break them up a lot. But I got more than I had hoped for. I know now that with hard work TRAINING MY STRENGTHS AND MY WEAKNESS' that next year I won't be saying eh...I am ok with how I ended. The muscle up..may have...come back off the bucket list. Have some new tools in my belt on how to get there.


WHAT I HAVE GAINED: I have gained more than I can put into words. I look at my life and from where I was...to where I am going...it's really hard to believe. I am eternally grateful for my family-who I have always said took a leap of faith and opened CF22. Kat, Liz, Andy-they lead by example. The morals and standards by which they run CF22 is beyond what you will find at most places. Amy-my sweet sis who trained me for so long when I was still trying to figure things out and pushed me to start CF. My brother Matty-yet another shining example of what it means to really be an athlete. So SO SO proud of my Momma and my niece Riley. Our family had 9 competitors this year. We had 6 in the Individual Open. 1 in Masters 40-44, 1 in the Masters 45-49 and 1 in the Masters 60+. Each week as the workouts came out-each one of us had a different way of getting ready for what was ahead. This truly has been a fun experience and I can hardly wait to get started training toward next year. I clearly know what I need to work on. NO LONGER will I feel defeat when a WOD comes out that has pullups, chest to bar, handstand pushups, strict ring dips...and so on and so forth. I will be training the things I normally scale. So if you see me taking longer to finish a wod,...just know...I am training for the Open in 2014...where I WILL meet my goal of finishing in the top 100 Women in the Masters 45-49 world wide. Gots lots to do!