Tips On Life: Being Awesome Is...

Being awesome is a lot of things.

It's:

 Always owning your actions

Sticking to classy

Sarcasm 

Colorful language... and socks

Supporting others in triumph, even when they out-do yours

Standing by those you hold most dear

Wearing your workout clothes to the grocery store and totally rocking your dirty spanky pants and filthy tshirt

Dancing in the rain

Filing up the gas tank before the E...

Being Awesome is not:

Sticking your finger in a moving fan without a protective cover at 2am the night before rope climbs

Sending your best friend the Golden Lasso in the mail disguised as a gift (actually it was halarious and most awesome)

And most of all, being awesome is NOT showing up to a distress call 1 hour after a water main breaks in the front yard during a stage 5 water restriction!! Thanks City Water Guy...how NOT awesome of you. Lesson learned.

(But Andre the amazing handyman WAS awesome in helping repair the pipe in our front yard using $4 in supplies and a few old pull-up bar pipes. Ingenious!!)

Most awesome of the day was this:

Nothing like a random kid giving a personalized portrait in a most flattering resemblance during your favorite part of the day. Yay CrossFit Kids Goofballs.

Clean Eating Roast Beef Summer Salad

Not long ago I was rummaging through some books at a church yard sale. I came across a copy of one of those Weight Watchers cookbooks and was surprised at how many recipes could easily be converted to fit my cleaner eating. I happily paid the .25 and have been planning my menu choices since. Now that we are almost settled in our new house, I have calmed down enough to where every meal is almost planned. It is a good effort on my part to plan a menu for the week but inevitably, we screw it up somehow. However, Mondays menu for dinner actually happened!

I have had a wedge of Amish Gorgonzola cheese waiting to be used and I think the roast beef would be good with any cheese. What do the Amish do to cheese to make it different? The ol' butter churn must be magic because it was awesome. Does that make me a person who stereotypes? I'm totally envisioning the Amish ladies standing around churning my Gorgonzola. I did not envision them wearing wooden shoes. I am one of those worldly educated types.

Have you ever eaten capers? The Weight Watchers folks called for capers in their recipe and I ignored them. Capers look gross. They look like little alien pods and I am sure they taste really bad. I'm an adventure girl with food but capers gross me out.
Anyway, here is what I did:
chop-
2 cucumbers
3 tomatoes
1/3 large onion
1/4 cup fresh mint

Then I added:
2 tbsp balsamic
1 tbsp EVOO
A few pinches Himalayan Pink Sea Salt...to make it fancy
Cracked pepper
4oz sliced roast beef (per serving
1 oz crumbled Gorgonzola (per serving)

The WW recipe called for bread cubes to soak up the extra balsamic and I didn't add that in. I found it to be a little runny so I cut down the amount of balsamic and oil to make up for that. I think it did need a little texture so if you like orzo pasta, it would be a nice mix. I considered black beans too...but ultimately didn't put them in

While looking at my new cookbook I also pulled out (proudly offensive) my Paula Dean cookbooks: The Lady and Sons and The Lady and Sons Too! cookbooks. I am totally frying up some chicken this week in the collection of bacon fat I have. If I'm going to have a "sometimes meal" (a better name for a cheat meal) I want it to be a song from the south. Summer screams fried chicken to me and ever since the cold chicken I had on the fourth of July, I have been craving some real stuff.
I am going to have me a Sunday Dinner y'all!
Maybe on Thursday, but who's counting?

Mobility Mondays: Front Rack Mobility Sequence From Eat Big Lift Big

I have been following the most fantastic blog recently, Eat Big Lift Big is a solid instruction mobility weightlifting nutrition site devoted to getting you better at stuff.
 I came across this mobility sequence on the site last week and used it in my mobility class Saturday. In addition, Mr. Dad has agreed to let me build him from the ground up in proper Olympic lifting and Power lifting. We have begun by focusing primarily on good form and muscle memory through the technical aspects of lifting. His hip mobility and upper thoracic spin are limited but surprisingly, the front rack positioning has improved ten fold in a week. I will attribute it to the following video and my mean nature, contorting him into uncomfortable stretches.
Having a high front rack position is essential for front squat, cleans, and general awesomeness.
Here is the video:



Some of these moves will take some serious dedication to have the range of motion exhibited, but almost anyone can get started on the sequence. It takes about 20 minutes to get through with proper technique and I added a foot and LAX ball roll at the end for good measure. Now that I roll my feet everyday, I can tell when I really need it. My poor feet thank me as soon as they even ctch a hint of the LAX ball coming near them.

In other news, a friend and I are signing up for the 31 Heroes WOD competition on August 3rd.
I am so honored to be a part of this movement for our first competition. Mr. Dad and I have lost several friends over the years due to their heroic work in the Armed forces and I want to give back to those families.
Here is a quick write-up on the event:

The WOD

31 Heroes 2013 – August 3, 2013 at a Crossfit Affiliate Near You.

“31 Heroes”

AMRAP 31 minutes (As Many Reps As Possible)
8 Thrusters (155/105#)
6 Rope Climbs (15 ft. ascent)
11 Box Jumps (30/24″)

This is a Partner WOD – Partner #1 will perform the work listed above. Partner #2 will run 400m with a sandbag (45/25). Once Partner #2 returns from the run, Partner #1 will grab the sandbag and begin their 400m, while Partner #2 continues work wherever #1 left off.

Score is your total # of reps

This WOD was created specifically to honor the 30 men and one dog that gave their lives for our country on August 6, 2011. It is 31 minutes long—one minute in remembrance of each hero. The rep scheme is 8-6-11—the date of their ultimate sacrifice. Finally, this is a partner WOD. The men who gave their lives were from multiple branches of our military, working together as a team.  In the workout you and your team member will constantly be taking the load from each other providing much needed support and relief. We realize that no physical sacrifice made during a workout can come close to the sacrifice our brave heroes made, but we consider this WOD a CrossFitters “moment of silence.” This is how we can honor those that gave all in the name of freedom.

We have been working hard to perfect the rope climb foot holds and decents allong with those super heavy thrusters! Holy cow that is a lot of weight. Anyway, training continues. 

Food soon!

Mobility Monday: Have Happy Feet!

Hey there!
Yay it's Monday again. I have been neglecting my mobility posts for many obvious reasons (vacation, move, giant fire, CrossFit Kids classes...) and I found a quick minute to do my first ever VLOG!
Now, keep in mind, it is too hot to wear makeup (I rarely do anyway) and I am no actress so my video is raw and simple.
Many of my Mobility/ Yoga participants have been telling me how much working with a ball on the feet is improving their overall well being. Much of the imbalances we have and pain we feel are tied to the feet in some way or another. Mobilizing the joints and ligaments along with loosening up all those little muscles will put you on the path to a more pain free day.

I noticed my little nervous quirk of fluttering my eyelids showed up on the vlog too. Just chalk that up to my unique personality and ignore it.
Anyway, get a lacrosse ball! Start with the feet and roll them everyday!!

A Long Month Update

To say the last month was eventful would be the largest understatement of my life. In addition to a long trip to Colorado, a new home purchase, a move, and the onset of summer, life has twisted and turned in good ways and bad. Thankfully, we are settling into a grove for the summer and life is returning to a slower pace. I forgot how much I love small town life. So, with that, I will give you a picture highlight reel of many of the events in our lives during June. I will be posting on a regular schedule now that we have wifi and time to breathe!!

After my experience at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, I spent a few days at CrossFit SoCo with this pretty lady. Loree is my favorite trainer in Colorado Springs and I visit her when I can. She talks about poop.

Here is one of the WODs I completed while there. I loved being able to keep up with all the high altitude athletes!!

While in Colorado, I was missing Texas. We ate at Rudy's BBQ often. Its one of the few TRUE Texas BBQs outside of the great state.

I worked on Double Unders and plenty of cool afternoon WODs in the back yard

Ate some amazing  Paleo hamburger set ups in Denver...

Did some impromptu yoga moves to impress the in laws

Then this happened.

This smoke plume is the very beginning of the Black Forrest Fire in Colorado this summer. This picture was taken as I raced back to help evacuate the home my husband knew his whole life. His family had lived there for 40 years and it was quickly looking like it would not make it through the blaze.

Fortunately, my husband and his parents were home at the time. They were able (in a somewhat dazed fashion) to get a few pictures and a suitcase of clothes. They truly did not think the forest would burn the 5 miles  down the road from its origin to their home.They escaped just as the fire was cresting the hill east to their part of the forest. I stayed in town because all roads were blocked going into the forest. We met up at a restaurant thinking the sprinkler running on the roof might save it. I had bought a select pack of craft beer in the mountains and figured it was not enough to take the edge off the stress of the situation. I never went to buy more beer and we didn't drink that six pack. We just hoped. We slept on living room floors in hopes of good news in the morning.

 We didn't get good news.
The picture below marks where the 10 acre home site of our family is. The circle is where the home used to stand. To the right is another home site of our family. In all, 9 of our family members lost 99% of there belongings and their homes burned completely.

What was amazing about the people of Colorado Springs, the Facebook Community, and my extended family and friends is, we were saturated with overwhelming support from the moment people heard the news. It is a testimony to the kindness of others and the realization for my family...we are worth helping. Faith in humanity restored! We received so many donations in the form of clothes, toys, toiletries, and monetary funds. My cousin in Seattle sent over 200 pounds of children and women's clothing!
Paninos Restaurant extended a warm welcome to us the day we got the news. Random people heard our story and handed money from there pocket in the check out line...not allowing anyone to pay for toothpaste or new underwear.

On a lighter note, that same day, we were treated to the long awaited news of our new niece or nephew. We have been hoping for a child for my brother and sister in law for close to ten years and FINALLY, the are expecting. The news it is a girl is a shock (family of all boys for Mr. Dad) and huge smiles erupted as the pink balloons jumped from the box at the reveal BBQ we attended (a very cute idea for Mom and Dad to Be).

We had to leave to return home to Texas the day after the news about the fire. It was a blessing, because we felt like we could not help the situation. The family had to start the process of finding a place to stay, insurance, and rebuilding some sense of normal...

My welcome home WOD was awesome!

Letting off stress from our devastating news was necessary. 

We went to a wedding on the Mexican border

I wore my first red dress. I also had heels on making me at least 6'6. For a wedding on the boarder, that made me the tallest person in town by about 5 inches.

I began going to the 5am class at the gym because CrossFit Kids takes up so much of my day. It is impossible to workout, coach, teach, and keep my own children sane for 5 hours at the gym. I don't mind early...

We like hanging around the gym...

We try and do some hiking when the mornings are cool.

Giant turkey cube and avocado salads with pico are a weekly MUST!!

We moved into our new home last week. We picked the day it was 107 to do it! My sweet friend Miss Janice took the kids on an outing to lunch and got their toes done at the salon. That's something I would never do with them and they loved it.

We made three trips with a 26 foot truck. Our awesome new neighbor Andre came by and helped load and unload the second trip. Had he not, I think we would still be transporting. It was awful. Good thing my headband was epic.

We went to another wedding. I wish I got more pictures at this one. I wore a great little blue dress that didn't touch my body (amazing and required because it was outside and 104 at the reception! But they had cocktails during the ceremony under the trees. Best wedding ever!

since our move I have only been able to find ONE Awesome sock. I'm heartbroken. Calling all Awesome Sock providers!! I need a new pair!

I have these till then. I wore them a few times, and of course on the fourth of July!

The Fourth was filled with a Holiday WOD at the gym, a few hours of needed rest, chicken, and FIREWORKS!! our town put on the first display in a VERY long time last night. It was so fun to see the kids enjoy the show. Good friends, good food, and a great night!

Life has been a roller coaster. Tears, sweat, and smiles a plenty in the last month. All I can say is I have missed you my dear readers! You all inspire me to keep pushing to be my best and to learn more. To cook better meals, to write better stories, and create the best NOT SO PALEO life I can. Thanks for taking a look at the update and have a great weekend!