long gone

i always hate when i get on here and realize it's been over a month since i've posted... i think it's time to abandon the idea of ever being a "regular" blogger :)

sometime soon, tonight or tomorrow, a summer crossfit WOD's post will be coming. but there is much else to update as well! first and probably most importantly, donny and i are building our first house here in college station! it's in a new neighborhood in south college station that we LOVE called castlerock. it is on a somewhat small lot and will only be 1620 square feet, which will be one of the smallest houses in the neighborhood but will be the perfect size for us, for now at least! it is completely custom... we got to sit with an architect to develop our floor plan and have selected EVERYTHING ourselves- brick, stone, floors, granite, cabinets, appliances, backsplash, plumbing & lighting fixtures, paint colors, roof shingles, doors, and probably even more that i'm forgetting. very fun but also a lot of pressure!! not as stressful as we feared on our marriage, probably because when we don't see eye to eye donny just gives in to what i want... which is apparently pretty typical as every vendor/sub-contractor we've met always seems to direct questions my way and looks to me for final choices lol! i'm sure it's a woman thing. it should be finished sometime in november, so we'll be in by our first anniversary and the holidays! we CAN'T WAIT!!

second on the big news front would have to be that i have a new job. i am now working as a speech pathologist in a skilled nursing facility instead of the public schools. overall, it's been a good change. there is a lot that i really like about it, and i don't miss the stress of the schools one bit. i never feel like i have to take work stress home with me at the end of the day, and i get paid for the time i actually work which is a concept i love and something that always frustrated me before... i resented having to work "extra" and not getting compensated for it, because it happened a lot and the pay was already not great. this new setting is quite a nice pay increase, which we can really use at the moment with all of the expenses the house brings! there are a few things though that i miss dearly about my former job, most namely the people i worked with and of course my sweet kiddos. you just don't find people like the ones who work in schools anywhere else- kind and wonderful and big-hearted- and i dearly miss them!! but back to the new job, i really love the geriatric population and feel so rewarded every day by helping and making a difference in these people's lives. they are so appreciative and so wonderful, if you take the time to get to know them and listen to their stories and histories. old people have a LOT of history, and i say that with the utmost fondness and respect.

other big news? it's college football season!! HOOK 'EM, and let the rivalry, competition, excitement, fanaticism, school spirit, and LONGHORN DOMINATION begin :)

quotable

"if we all did the things 

we are capable of doing 

we would literally 

ASTOUND ourselves"

-thomas edison-

this quote makes me want to try harder, do more, live better, love deeper; we are capable of infinitely more than we realize. i'm thinking that perhaps i should post this quote next to my bed or on my mirror, in the hope that it encourages me daily to live the kind of life that i will be fulfilled by and proud of... because for me, that doesn't come easily or naturally. i have finally begun to learn to push myself physically, but in order to grow in other areas as well, i could certainly use a friendly reminder now and then. i hope this quote is even half as inspirational to you as it is to me!

london broil

while searching for recipes to cook the london broil i got on super special at the grocery store, i learned that london broil is not, in fact, a cut of meat, but instead is a way of preparing it. hmm, i guess the kroger butchers/meat packagers have not yet been so enlightened.

anywho, i googled and found this recipe from a site that i have never gotten recipes from before. it turned out ABSOULTELY DELICIOUS, without question the best dish of meat i have ever prepared! and the best part is that it is a paleo recipe! and, it was pretty simple (although i made donny cut it after because it's supposed to be sliced really thin and i really dislike cutting/slicing/chopping of any kind.

london broil (from about.com's american food section... weird, right?)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 lb boneless top round "London Broil" steak, about 2-inches thick
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• salt as needed

Preparation:

In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, and rosemary, and Place the beef on a plate and poke both sides all over with a fork. Transfer to a plastic freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Seal and refrigerate overnight. 

Turn broil on high. Remove the London broil from the marinade and pat dry. Salt generously, and rub in the freshly ground black pepper, on both sides. Place on a broiler pan, or other oven-safe pan. Broil about 8 inches under the flame for approximately 6-7 minutes per side for medium rare - internal temp of 130 degrees F. 

Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil; let rest for 10 minutes. To serve, cut against the grain into very thin slices. Serve hot, topped with any juices from the plate on which it rested.

may WOD's

5.3.2010

90 secs box jumps + 90 secs KTE= 61

60 secs box jumps + 60 secs KTE= 50

30 secs box jumps + 30 secs KTE= 41

5.4.2010

2-2-2-2 push press

3-3-3 dead lift

4 rounds:

12 dead lifts

24 sit-ups

300m sprint

(2 min rest between rounds)

2:23 / 2:12 / 2:13 / 2:13

5.6.2010

max snatch

62 lbs

AMRAP in 10 mins:

10 goblet squats (35 lbs)

15 double unders

20 push-ups

4 and 1/2 rounds

5.7.2010

5-5-5-5-5 back squat

112 lbs

7 rounds:

4 burpees

6 wall ball (12 lbs)

10 hammer swings

time= 7:46

5.10.2010

1-1-1-1-1 push jerk + jerk

3-3-3-3-3 snatch pull

bottom-to-bottom tabata squats

lowest round= 14

5.12.2010

5-5-5-5-5 dead lift

153 lbs

500m row

followed immediately by

3 rounds:

10 power cleans (63 lbs)

30m overhead carry (35 lbs)

time= 8:16

5.13.2010

modified "elizabeth"

21-15-9

KTE

ring dips (small band)

time= 9:32

5.14.2010

60 GHD

time trials

1 min max reps of each:

box jumps (40)

pull-ups (15, no band)

burpees (21)

double unders (44)

kettle bell swings (25)

5.17.2010

3 mins L-sits

5 rounds:

10 kettle bell dead lifts

10 kettle bell swings

20 double unders

time= 6:53

5.19.2010

push press

57 lbs

5 rounds:

10 thrusters

5 burpees

100m sprint

(rest 90 secs between rounds)

1:25 / 1:22 / 1:22 / 1:28 / 1:34

5.20.2010

"isabel"

30 power snatch (52 lbs)

time= 3:34

5.21.2010

FGB

3 rounds:

1 min box jumps

1 min push-press (42 lbs)

1 min row (calories)

1 min wall ball (12 lbs)

1 min sumo dead lift high pull (42 lbs)

total reps + calories= 95 / 80 / 80

5.24.2010

3-3-3-3-3 front squat

"annie"

50-40-30-20-10

double unders

sit-ups

time= 7:53

5.25.2010

5-5-5-5-5 push press

team WOD

5 rounds each:

20 lunges

10 kb swings

5 burpees

time= 7:57

5.26.2010

weighted box dips

pull-up negatives

4 rounds:

5 KTE

10 OHS

15 push-ups

300m sprint

5.31.2010

100 burpees

time= 7:31

eggplant parmesan "pizzas"

in my ongoing attempts to not only be more domestic, but also become healthier and more conscientious about what i put into my body, i have continued to periodically try out new, paleo-friendly recipes...

this yummy meal was loosely based on a paleo recipe i found, but with quite a few adaptations and improvisations based on ingredients we had available... i LOVED how it turned out, delicious!!

first off, we didn't have enough of all of the ingredients to make they ooey gooey casserole, so instead i made individual servings like mini pizzas, where the slice of eggplant served as the "crust". second, we didn't have any ground meat so this was vegetarian eggplant parmesan... next time i will for sure add ground turkey though! third, we didn't have mozzarella so i used white american, which we actually loved! here's the improvised recipe:

1 eggplant

~1/2 cup almond meal/crushed almonds

~1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 egg

your fave marinara sauce

several slices of mozzarella (or american) cheese

olive oil

salt and pepper

*ground turkey/beef- maybe 1/2 pound?

preheat oven to 350 degrees. slice eggplant into circles about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. beat egg in a bowl. mix almond meal, parmesan, and some salt and pepper in another bowl. heat stove top and put several tablespoons of olive oil in pan. dip each slice of eggplant into egg, then dip in almond meal mixture to lightly coat it. then put in frying to pan to brown. make sure you add more olive oil with each batch of eggplant!

arrange browned eggplant slices on a cookie sheet lined with foil. **if you are using ground meat, i would add a spoonful of browned and seasoned ground meat first ** add spoonful (or however much you want) of marinara to each slice, then add a square of sliced cheese to the top. bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese starts to brown on top. i ate my pizzas with my hands, although my civilized husband opted for a fork. enjoy! (and leftovers nuked in the microwave were great, although may have been even better had i used the toaster oven or oven)

i almost forgot that i made the BEST london broil ever a few weeks ago... i'll post that recipe soon if i can track it down :) also, i'll be posting may and june WOD's (i know, super exciting)

see no evil, hear no evil...

i've been thinking a lot about the oil spill lately. while i'm sure this is a relatively common sentiment at the moment, for me it isn't. you see, most of the time i am completely successful (albeit not necessarily intentional) in completely tuning out anything unpleasant (to put it mildly) in the world. only when something reaches magnitudes that simply cannot be tuned out do i become aware, invested, or involved. this is a personal issue that i've been aware of for a while, but i've managed to make excuses for myself and simply shove the issue on the back burner.

excuse one: i'm too busy to watch the news. i almost laughed out loud while typing that. donny and i watch hours of tv shows per week, yet those hours hardly ever encompass anything informational. granted the news has it's flaws and, particularly at the local level, and tends to be guilty of the same ignorance that i myself am guilty of, at least in regards to many issues, but it would at least be a small step in the right direction towards social responsibility. whether it be reading daily articles online, watching the world news, or listening to npr, i vow to become better informed.

excuse two: i can't handle tragedy. while true, this is not a valid excuse. i have tended to justify my non-involvement by pointing towards my often times heightened, over-reactions. i cry when i see dead animals on the side of the road. i become physically nauseous during movies and tv shows that feature human evils. hell, i can't even stomach to hear about the mice that have been caught in the traps at my sister and brother-in-law's house. BUT... just because i am easily affected, i should not have a free pass to blissful ignorance. so what if i read, see, hear, or think about things daily that upset me? there are certainly hardships and tragedies out there that deserve my thoughts, sympathies, and tears, at the very least. and only when we are affected do we take action which is my ultimate responsibility. which leads to the next excuse...

excuse three: i donate money to charities that deal with the injustices that i ignore. by giving nearly ten percent of my income to causes that i feel connected to, i give myself a free pass to give nearly zero percent of my time or energy. yes, by giving anything at all financially for building wells in developing nations, supporting less fortunate children, rescuing stray animals,  researching a cure for AIDS, etc., i may be doing more than many americans out there. but that doesn't mean i'm doing enough. giving money is without question taking the easiest route. although i am confident that what i give is making a bit of a difference, i also am confident that i could make more of a difference by giving some of my time and increasing my own awareness, and then in turn hopefully the awareness of others.

but i may be getting ahead of myself here. my goal is not to change the world, but to be better aware of and informed about what in the world needs changing. the one must necessarily precede the other. it has always been a goal of mine to be a responsible citizen of this world, and now i'd like to stop making excuses for not being one. if you are at all like me and my family, maybe you'd like to challenge yourself to do the same.

with that said, don't expect my blog to suddenly become filled with current events or world tragedies. in all likelihood, my next entry will feature current events in the life of the wilsons. but i will try to update on my personal challenge at some point, hoping that doing so will keep me accountable.

good things: june edition

- the return of movie mondays with donny (starting next week)

- hearing kate say "megan" and "donny"

- my future nephew!

- naked fish sushi (i hope!)

- more than 6 months of wedded awesomeness

- frozen yogurt on hot days

- outer banks with the fam

- my new keurig single cup coffee maker

- my dermatologist

- bacon wrapped, oyster stuffed shrimp from the flying dutchman

- ron pope's tunes

- skinny margaritas by the pool

- the WORLD CUP. duh.

- reunion weekend with b and ash in july

- SYTYCD

- a house?

now i just need to find a job, and more urgently, some books to read on the beach! la la la la la la life is wonderful...

april WOD's

4.6.2010

3-3-3-3-3 back squat

98 lbs

3-3-3 hang power snatch

48 lbs

3 rounds:

10 one arm snatch + OHS + press (10 lbs)

driveway sprint

4:38

4.7.2010

1-1-1-1-1-1 power clean

72 lbs

3-3-3 snatch pull

62 lbs

400m row

50 kb swings (25 lbs)

30 knees-to-elbows

7:21

4.8.2010

snatch balance max

57 lbs

4 rounds:

3 hand stand push ups (from box)

20 double unders

30 sit-ups

8:08

4.12.2010

front squat max

107 lbs

30 wall ball (8 lb)

10 push-ups

100m sprint

20 wall ball

20 push-ups

100m sprint

10 wall ball

30 push-ups

100m sprint

8:37

4.13.2010

1-1-1-1-1-1-1 clean and jerk

67 lbs

1 minute of each:

row (16 cals)

GHD (27)

burpees (19)

hammer swings (32)

ring dips (21)

4.14.2010

max back squat

123 lbs

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

pull-ups (1st two rounds w/out band, rest w/ band or BR)

one arm snatch (15 lbs)

8:27

4.15.2010

1-1-1-1-1-1 power snatch

57 lbs

team WOD

3 rounds:

300m run

max box jumps (107 total)

10 floor wiper per side)

11:32-692= 503

4.19.2010

3-3-3 power clean

57 lbs (workout weight)

"the chief"

AMRAP in 3 minutes, 5 rounds:

3 power cleans

6 push-ups

9 squats

5/5/5/5/5

4.21.2010

3-3-3 dead lift

77lbs

in one minute:

1 dead lift, 1 burpee

2 dead lifts, 2 burpees

etc. until fail to complete within minute

10 dead lifts, 9 burpees

4.22.2010

max thruster

77 lbs

3 rounds:

15 thrusters (47 lbs)

barbell carry

30 double unders

12:00

4.23.2010

3-3-3 power snatch

5 rounds:

5 power snatch (42 lbs)

10 pull-ups (BR)

20 sit-ups

7:50

4.26.2010

max over head squat

67 lbs

"nancy"

5 rounds:

15 OHS (33 lbs)

400m run

14:37

4.27.2010

max body row x 2

15/15

750m row

3 rounds:

10 kb swings (35 lbs)

10 burpees

8:14

4.28.2010

5-5-5-5-5 front squat

92 lbs

6 x 100m sprint

-/19/16/17/17/18

march WOD's

3.1.2010

3-2-1-1-1 snatch

"annie"

50-40-30-20-10

double unders

sit-ups

10:48

3.2.2010

clean and jerk

82 lbs

3 rounds:

400m run

21 kettlebell swings (25 lbs)

8 pull-ups

7:51

3.3.2010

100 wall balls (6 lbs) 

+ 5 burpees at each min

7:31

3.8.2010

3-3-3 thrusters (42 lbs)

"fran"

21-15-9

thrusters (42 lbs)

pull-ups (1st rd no band)

9:43

3.10.2010

5x max ring dips (small band)

20/15/15/15/15

tabata sprints

tabata sit-ups (14)

3.11.2010

1-1-1-1 snatch

"the doctor"

5 rounds:

3 snatch (42 lbs)

10 burpees

5:55

3.22.2010

4 rounds:

10 overhead squats (42 lbs)

10 push-ups

6:20

1 minute max box jumps= 35

3.29.2010

5-5-5 clean dead lift

97 lbs

5-5-5-5-5 back squat

82 lbs

tabata row

809m

3.30.2010

1-1-1-1-1 power clean + clean + jerk

62 lbs

4 rounds:

6 pull-ups

20 box jumps

5:49

3.31.2010

3-3-3-3 over head squat w/ 3 sec hold @ bottom

42 lbs

3 rounds:

50 double unders

25 back extensions

10 turkish git-ups

11:05

february WOD's

2.8.2010

"the bear"

5 rounds of:

power clean, front squat, push press, back squat, push press, x7

42 lbs

2.10.2010

2x max dead hang pull-ups: 12, 11

"michael"

3 rounds:

800m run

50 sit-ups

50 back extensions

16:47

2.15.2010

1-1-1-1-1-1 tall snatch

42 lbs

10-8-6-4-2

overhead squat (32 lbs)

burpees

sit-ups

5:57

2.18.2010

1-1-1-1-1-1-1 power clean & jerk

87 lbs

team WOD

4 rounds:

200m row

max knees-to-elbows while partner is rowing (15/11/10/11)

2.19.2010

jeremy's dirty 30

30 dead lift (93 lbs)

30 pull-ups

30 hammer swings

30 lunges

30 double unders

30 sit-ups

10:02

2.22.2010

1-1-1-1-1 press

62 lbs

AMRAP in 8 mins:

9 dumbbell push press (10 lbs)

6 back extensions

3 jumping squats

2.23.2010

3-3-3-3-3 power clean

77 lbs

7 rounds:

7 power cleans (42 lbs)

7 box jumps

6:58

2.24.2010

3-2-1-1-1 snatch

52 lbs

50 kettlebell swings (25 lbs)

40 double unders

30 wall balls (8 lbs)

20 pull-ups (small band)

10 power snatch (32 lbs)

8:02

2.26.2010

team WOD

300m run

max pull-ups (15, no band)

300m run

max burpees (15)

300m run

max thrusters (22)

BCS Games: Video Highlights!

pretty awesome montage made by the professional videog they had out there... my debut is just shy of the 6 minute mark, and i'm not gonna lie, it's pretty funny/humiliating :) enjoy!

BCS Games 2010

i managed to go the entire month of april without a post! awesome, i'm so good at this. but, this weekend i participated in an event that really deserves a blog entry, so i'm back :)

the first annual BCS Games were put on by the 3 local bryan/college station crossfit affiliates. initially a way for local crossfitters to come together in friendly competition, it turned into an event with more than 80 athletes competing, with some traveling from katy, denton, clear lake, dallas, etc. to compete... pretty amazing for the first ever event. 

i signed up at the urging of my trainers, jordan and danny, along with about 11 or so other athletes from our box. at the time of signing up, i knew very little about this event, other than that it would be comprised of 3 WOD's in one day. the WOD's weren't announced until this past wednesday (women's prescribed weights are listed)...

WOD 1, "the chipper"

600m run

30 box jumps

30 kettle bell swings (35 lbs)

600m run

30 over head squats (42 lbs)

30 push press (42 lbs)

600m run

WOD 2, max dead lift

WOD 3, "the buster"

21-15-9

thrusters (62 lbs)

burpees

i knew as soon as i read them that these were going to be TOUGH. on a daily basis at CF, WOD's and weights used are typically scaled to ability levels. for example, i'm still not all that strong, so i had been doing approximately the following in workouts recently:

25 lb kettle bell swings

33 lb over head squats

42 lb thrusters

at the BCS games, though, if you scale your weights, your scores don't count (plus jordan wouldn't let me). so i attempted all WOD's as prescribed. i knew these would be tough workouts, but i had no idea how tough! saturday, the day of the games, got here and though weather reports had predicted rain, it was a relatively nice day (although a bit warm and humid) i felt good, no soreness, and my amazing husband was coming out for the entire day to support me. there were 6 heats and i was in heat 4. my first WOD started at about 9:15. 

WOD 1 

i had already watched 3 heats go before me, and i saw how tough it was going to be. the over head squats (OHS) were brutal for many of the women, and the runs seemed hard for everybody. quite a few people were not finishing within the 20 minute allowed time period. i started out strong, the 2nd woman to finish run 1. i flew through the box jumps as they are one of my strengths and even the kb swings at this new heavier weight went more quickly than anticipated. off on my second run, much more slowly than the 1st. took most of the run to really get my breathing back close to a reasonable rate. then, the OHS. i was pretty wiped already, and these were brutal. heavier than i'm used to, and with a judge watching each one to make sure i got full depth. which i didn't, as OHS are one of my weakest lifts. i spent at least 6 or 7 minutes on the squats alone. by the time i got to the push presses, which i thought would be easy, i was so tired i was only doing these in sets of 3 or so. when i finally finished to go on my last run i only had about 2.5 minutes to go, which was not nearly enough time as tired as i was. i finished the WOD about 1-2 minutes after the cut-off time. but, i still finished. there were 16 women in all who DNF, out of 35 women competing. after WOD 1 i sort of wanted to go home and take the rest of the day off. i ranked this WOD as the most difficult one i had done to date.

WOD 2, the dead lift, was the only one i wasn't worried about as i knew that i could actually complete it, and it wouldn't drain my energy like the others. 3 lift attempts and then another break, no biggie. as i warmed up and did a few practice lifts i worried a little. i felt sore and tired after WOD 1, and my practice of 145 felt pretty heavy (my max is 165, and 155 was going to be my starting weight) so i edited my goal for the day. initially i had aimed for a new PR, but i decided i'd be happy just to match my max of 165, and i changed my starting lift to 145. so i got up to do my first lift, and something changed. you are on a platform with everybody, all of the spectators and other athletes, watching you attempt your lift. and adrenaline suddenly enters the scene and becomes your helpful friend! my first lift of 145 was so light i was almost shocked- nothing like my practice. i decided to make my next attempt at my max, 165. i probably should have gone higher. 165 felt nearly as easy. so the judge, another local CF trainer, urged me to attempt 185 for my final lift, 20 lbs over my max. i nailed the 185 and felt like i could have lifted at least 10, maybe even 20, more pounds. but still, WOD 2 was definitely a morale booster that i very much needed.

WOD 3, "the buster", the one i had been most dreading, was up before i knew it. the reason i had been dreading this one so much was because of the prescribed weight. 62 lbs is quite heavy for me... my 1-rep max for thrusters is only 77 lbs, and i typically use 42 lbs for WOD's with thrusters. to put it into perspective, for most of the men, the prescribed men's weight was about 50% of their max or less (depending on the man). this was 80% of my max, for a total of 45 thrusters. i watched a friend from our box, rebekah, compete in the heat before mine and finish with 5 seconds to spare (12 minute time limit). watching her struggle through it made me proud, but at the same time confirmed my fears about how hard it was going to be (she is stronger than me on most lifts/movements). my judge was cal, another athlete who works out at our box. to do a thruster, you clean or power clean the bar up to your chest, squat down to the ground, and then as you stand up you push the bar all the way overhead and lock it out at the top. you can then keep it on your chest and squat down to start your next thruster without putting the bar down.

the first round was 21, and this round started out well. i knocked out 12 or 13 without putting the bar down, which exceeded my expectations. and that's where it all began to go downhill. by the end of round 1, i couldn't do more than 2 in a row without putting the bar down to rest. 21 burpees were over with pretty quickly, and then time for 15 more thrusters. i did these pretty much one at a time, having to put the bar down between each to rest, which meant that i then had to clean the bar back up to start again. this round took me so long. i was frustrated and really thought that the weight was just too heavy and my body couldn't get it done. i took off my shirt near the end of the round so i could use it to wipe off the sweat that was getting into my eyes. the 15 burpees weren't too bad, and then back to the thrusters. at this point the 12 minute time cap passed, so i thought i'd be stopping, but cal had another plan in mind. i remember him yelling, when the guy came on and announced for the next heat to prepare, "don't listen to him, pick the bar up and keep working!" cal was yelling at me like that through most of the workout, which was probably a huge reason i hadn't already quit. i remember throughout the last round (or maybe the last 2) as i was doing my thrusters one at a time i kept saying that it was just too heavy, and he kept telling me it wasn't and i just needed to pick the bar up and do it. motivating, yes, but also slightly infuriating. the whole thing was pissing me off, i wanted to be finished so badly! at one point i kicked my shirt, and i heard someone say "yeah, that's it, get mad girl!" at this point in time, as i'm doing the last 9, everyone else in my heat has finished and every single person at the event is watching me. and cheering for me by name, with donny and all my friends from my box at the forefront. i felt like rudy, seriously. so although i didn't know how the heck i was going to finish, because my body just wasn't strong enough, i knew i had to figure out a way... with everyone watching and cheering i didn't really have a choice to quit anymore. so, i did it. i honestly don't know how, it was by far the most physically difficult thing i've ever put my body through. it was a fight to just clean the bar up to my chest to start each thruster. on the last 3 or 4 thrusters donny told me i was basically screaming/grunting as i pushed the bar over my head each time. when i finally finished i got on my elbows and knees on the ground and was gasping for breath, and crying- it was like nothing i've ever experienced before. 

at first, post-WOD, i was embarrassed that it was so difficult for me, that it took me so long to finish, and that everyone had been watching. but crossfitters are amazing and nice, and people kept coming up to tell me how great they thought it was that i finished, and that i didn't scale the weight down (though honestly i probably should have lol!). one person told me i was an inspiration! are you kidding me? people out there putting down amazing times, picking up incredible amounts of weight, doing all-around awesome things with their bodies, those people were inspiration! i was just out of my league. but, in a funny sort of way, i guess my persistence in finishing counted for something. a few people, including some of the trainers, mentioned that they thought it was the highlight of the games. from my point of view, witnessing how awesome it was to have so many people supporting you and urging you on, i would agree that it did encompass the spirit of the games and of crossfit. it made me feel so fortunate to be a part of such an awesome fitness and lifestyle movement. for anyone who hasn't heard of or tried crossfit, i promise it will change your life! you will discover things about yourself, your body, and your strength that you might never otherwise discover, you will accomplish awesome things, and you will meet some of the greatest people. give it a shot!!

today i am so so sore it hurts to move. everything- legs, arms, back, shoulders, neck, feet- hurts. but i don't regret it, and i'll probably do it again next year :)

good things

- only 8.5 weeks until summer

- 4 months of being a wife

- spring break cakeballs

- kate's fish face, duck noise, corn-on-the-cob eating, kiss blowing, new words, etc...

- frozen yogurt available at TWO local spots

- quality time with wonderful grad school friends

- 3 consecutive mornings of starbucks

- when donny pours me a glass of red wine after a long day

- "the green zone", and every other movie where matt damon is a badass. aka every matt damon movie.

- long weekends with family

- delicious, effortless crockpot creations. wedding gifts are the best.

- march madness, despite busted bracket

- my favorite iowans visiting the lone star state

- words with friends. i am so going to kill at my next scrabble match with d

- virginia's broccoli salad recipe

- justin bieber?

hoping for a quick two days, a slow weekend, casey & andrew & lee to stick around on ai, quick healing for the torn calluses on my hands, a reunion with my besties in the not-too-distant future, and the end of widespread hunger and epidemic in developing nations (can't hurt to dream big, right?) 

some days are made for laziness

today was without question one of those days. i stirred when donny left for work, but then slept until he called and woke me up at ten. then, i made the effortful move from bed to couch, where i remained until about 4:00. law and order svu is just made for days like today. as is eating peanut butter from the jar with a spoon. and lets not forget good ol' pajamas. but finally, i changed and went to crossfit at 5 (PR'ed on dead lift, 163 lbs), followed by a delightful trip to spoons with my friend, megan, from work. spoons is the frozen yogurt place here in cs and it pretty much rocks my world.

yesterday, i ate about 5 donuts and a kolache for breakfast from the ever delicious shipleys. have you ever had the feeling that, if you shove one more bite of food down your throat you are going to puke? but you want the food so badly that you do it anyway? i was so there yesterday. i couldn't tell you the last time i felt so sick. but, several hours later i felt well enough to eat 2/3 of a box of girl scout cookies. and then i went to crossfit. almost vomiting twice in one day is not something i'm in a hurry to repeat. oh and then, when i was finally feeling better, donny and i went for mexican at los cucos. 

i know what you must thinking... what the hell is wrong with me and why don't i stop eating like a 400 pound person? well, yesterday marked the first day officially off of the paleo diet. and while i had every intention of continuing many aspects of the diet, my cravings have been so intense and incessant that i at times felt like i might lose my mind. i hated thinking about food constantly. so i figured that maybe allowing myself to eat anything i wanted to that had been off-limits might change my mindset- enter spring break. and then, when i'm feeling sane again, moderation will be key- but not cutting things out completely- that kind of restriction just doesn't work for me.

so days 1 & 2 of spring break have been pretty much as worthless as i had hoped. here's to a bit of productivity on days 3-5... but not much. it IS still spring break, after all :)