Get up UP!!

Thursday while I taught the young kids 3:30 class - my kids and their friends practiced their handstands, rop climbs and boxing techniques. They got pretty good! The hard part was trying to snap a pic while they were all locked out! That's my son Brandon on the end trying to get back into a handstand - this was the best pic where they were almost up at the same time....sorry B! Check out how ripped Jacob's abs are! He did a dual rope climb with no legs....using his arms he alternated pulls while being between 2 ropes....got almost all the way to the top too!! Talk about a Kick ass CrossFitter in the near future. He even almost got a muscle up first day on the rings. Nice job!!

Workout :

Row 20 calories
20 thrusters at 25#
20 knees to elbows
20 double unders

rest 2 miinutes - then repeat for 5 rounds!!!
This one did me in. The row for calories sucked ASS!! Give it a try and see how you do. I think I finished in 23 something ?

Yet another pose....

My question today to you is ....do you believe in Karma ? Or what about what goes around comes around ? Or more like what Jesus taught ...do unto others as you'd have done to you ? I never used to believe in Karma - I thought if you were a nice person with a good loving heart that's all that mattered. But I am starting to think that if you put negative things out into the universe - somehow they find their way back to you. Maybe in order to teach you the lesson of what it felt like when you did it, or said it to another human being. WOW...that was a little deep, I know. I am learning. Learning lessons that my eyes used to be completely closed to a few years ago. I define myself as a nice person, with a loving heart. If you are sad I want to help. I am always there for my friends to listen to or help any way I possibly can. I've been know to open my wallet, my house everything I own to somebody in need. But I haven't always been the nicest warmest human I should be or can be to those closest to me. Make sense ? I have heard that you are always harder on those you love.....I guess this rang true in my life. The past 2 years I have been working hard on correcting that - and at the same time grow as a person by learning from my mistakes. My fault is that in my learning and growing I tend to shut down and close off. I don't know any other way. This is the number one personality trait that I absolutley loathe in myself. The prison I lock myself in when I feel faced with the pain that I once dished out. This is a little personal, but hey - maybe this will touch somebody out there who is feeling the same way. I know God is refining me. Being refined in fire - BURNS. It hurts, stings, and is uncomfortable. I have studied the Bible enough years to know when it is happening to me - even when like I said the other day - we ignore what's happening and look the other way. God's the potter and I am the clay. He's molding me shaping me - stretching me. It's painful and I have never cried so much in my entire life as I have the past 2 years. I hold on to the knowlesge that HE knows what he's doing - I have to be strong and open up to the lessons - the stretching. Breathe - shari - Breathe....... Oh...I thinnk I should say that everything is fine in my relationship with Brendan. We are together, in love just like always. I'm just thinking about me and learning is all. It's good to take personal inventory every year and learn from mistakes.

CrossFit Workout :
Max deadlifts

I PR'd today with a max lift of 185.....not too bad for a little 105 pounder. I really wanted 190. I tried it 2 times and barely moved it off the ground - just couldn't get it past the sticky spot. Dammit! I wanted that lift! Brendan had me do 4 sets of 3 lift at 90% of my max to gain strength. He says the next time I go for a max effort I'll get that 190! I trust him.

1/2 "Cindy"
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats
How many rounds in 10 minutes ?

I got 10.5

Delicious Whole Foods Salad....

Since deciding to eat more veggies in my diet it's been great! I love veggies anyway - but now I am making sure to get more during the day and not just at my dinner meal. This salad was for lunch and it's a 4 block (This was the one I prepared for Brendan. Mine was a 2 blocker) and had spinach, romaine, white beans, red peppers, tomatoes, grilled chicken and marcona almonds. YUMMY!! Oh yea, also celery and avocado. I feel better, leaner, stronger and just know that I am doing my body good eating this way.

Friday's workout:

6am : Track workout totaling 6.5 miles
1 mile warm up
2 laps stride straights/jog turns
3x 1 mile at 10k pace
400 meter recovery
2x 400 meters (200 meter 10k/200 meter sprint)
400 meter recovery
2 laps cool down


10am:
100 double unders
50 ab mat sit ups
20 pass throughs
20 knees to elbows
50 ab mat sit ups
15 pass throughs
15 knees to elbows
50 ab mat situps
10 pass throughs
10 knees to elbows
50 ab mat sit ups
100 double unders


Saturday Workout:
1 single arm snatch on left
1 single arm snatch on right
1 burpee
x 30 rounds
Used 30 pound dumbell.......

Wanted to go down to the track and do sprints, but the crazy storm wouldn't let me!

Tracy's Blog address....

So I have gotten many requests to post the link to Tracy's blog.....here it is : www.tracyrif.blogspot.com. This lady is awesome - just like most people who comment on my blog! Check her out for some honest, open diet ideas and help. There ya go....now go see what she's been up to.

A Little Lesson....

So yesterday I had something kinda cool and kinda strange at the same time happen to me.... First off I believe there is a God and that He has a plan for each of us. I also believe that He talks to us even when we try to close our ears to His voice and go our own way and make our own decisions based on what WE want. I hear Him as a whisper or a feeling - left ignored the whispers turn to yells and He usually will put me in uncomfortable situations to face whatever it is I am avoiding or ignoring. So - that being said I have been trying to think of a way to get back to church and to get back ultimately to faith. Yesterday I ran into a friend from church who I was not really looking forard to seeing because I feared judgement, cold shoulder...whatever you want to say. I ran into this person in a doctors office so I couldn't really just leave .....and all I saw in her eyes for me was love. It really struck my heart because i didn't think her, of all people, would treat me warmly. Anyway- it felt really nice and I know God put her in my path as a sort of sign that I am loved. Who doesn't like to feel that ?


Today's workout was a beast....give it a try:

25 hang power cleans
25 jerks
20 hang power cleans
20 jerks
15 hang power cleans
15 jerks
row 1,000 meters

I used 78 pounds. I SHOULD OF used 88 pounds but I was feeling a little weak from having had a cold and blah blah blah. 78 pounds was FINE for today! :) 24:10 was my time. The row slowed me down like crazy.....

I also did track sprints yesterday totaling 4.5 miles in the end.
Check out this months January CrossFit Journal for some amazing endurance training coupled with CrossFit.....GB.....READ IT!! I'm going to train the way McKenzie suggests for 5 weeks after I give it a read and see how far I can go.

Pay attention to the signs.....they're all around you.....

Happy New Year!

Happy 2008 to everybody. Brendan and I woke up New Years Day and took a walk down the street to the beach. It was gorgeous outside! When we got back I made us a great healthy breakfast with plenty of fresh veggies. We decided to take the day off of working out since we were still pretty sore from the workout the day before.....

10 bench press at 3/4 bodyweight
10 dead hang or weighted pullups
row 500 meters
x 5 rounds.

This one hurt like hell concidering the day before here's what the workout was :

40 kettlebell swings
80 sit ups
250 meter row
30 kettlebell swings
60 sit ups
500 meter row
20 kettlebell swings
40 sit ups
750 meter row
10 kettlebell swings
20 sit ups
1,000 meter row.

YES - it's as knarley as it looks and the last 1,000 meter row was torturous! Can't remember my time - but it wasn't bad.

We hope everybody is starting the new year off with plenty of love, laughter, goals, and healthy habits. Life is amazingly great!!

Boys will Be Boys...

Give boys a mat and some gloves and they will beat the crap out of eachother for fun!!My son and Jacob sparred on the mats for a while before I turned them loose on the bags instead of eachother. Good exercise!

Family Workout....

Another thing I am recommitting to this year is more family workouts with my children. My son loves to CrossFit anyway, and he moves really good! He had handstand pushups, a 12 second handstand hold, can do pullups, squats perfectly, runs like a dream, and learned how to clean. I guess he takes after me :) Yesterday we went to NSC to do a workout mid day to get moving....

40 kettlebell swings
80 situps
250 m row
30 kb
60 sit ups
500 meter row
20 kb
40 sit ups
750 meter row
10 kb
20 sit ups
1000 meter row.

I cut the reps down for the kids but they did the whole workout....That's my son in the sit up and his friend Jacob in a kb swing and me being in a kb swing also. My big man in the back ground getting ready for the workout.....We had fun and the boys put on gloves and sparred for a while after the workout too. We also practiced some gymnastic moves like skin the cat, front levers, and handstands. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30 I teach a kids class at NSC - my son and his friend have committed to taking the classes.....we'll see :)

Horn o Plenty....

So I have been reinspired by a fellow blogger named Tracey. Check out her blog - she's amazing and has an amazing story. She was a guest blogger at Jen's Gym blog as well. Anyway, I eat in the Zone and stay away from sugar (except around Christmas was a little hard) but feel like I don't get in enough vegetables during the day. I easily grab after fruit because it's more portable and I don't have to cook it. After reading Traceys blog i thought to myself "I can eat like she does more often.....just more planning!" so off to the store I went. I LOVE LOVE LOVE vegetables anyway......coming back from the Scotts Valley Market I had fresh kale, leekes, squash, avocadoes, tomatoes, oranges, apples, nannas, slivered almonds, tofu, soy milk, chicken breasts, tri tip - plenty of yummy food to cook up. I had planned on spending the afternoon cooking for the week - but then the headache and yucky feeling came back and I only cooked dinner. Here's what I made.....

BBQ tri tip, Kale with garlic, onions, sundried tomatoes and olive oil mixed with cannelini beans. YUMMY!! Perfect 2 block dinner.

Today I plan on making some turkey soup with kale and quinoa, stir fry tofu with plaenty of vegies, and a few crock pot meals for the week. If you spend the time to prepare the foods ahead of time your success rate to stay on target with your diet is way easier. Read Tracy's blog - she cooks for the week and packs meals to put in the freezer - it helps her to always eat healthy. Let's all make the decision to do it too. Be inspired by the delicious foods at the store. Find new ways to cook them up. Cook up some acorn squash and fill with browned and seasoned turkey meat topped with slivered toasted almonds. YUMMY and healthful!!

Today's Zone foods :

Breakfast tortilla....egg whites mixed with cottage cheese and cooked up. Sauteed red peppers, black beans, garlic and onions . Mix and spooned into a tortilla, topped with hot sauce. (3 blocks)

Slim fast high protein bar (2 blocks)

Turkey meat, apple, almonds (2 blocks)

Salad with chicken and dressing ( 2 blocks)

Yummy dinner......(2 blocks)

A new years coming.....are you ready ?

This picture was taken last year on Christmas day. Brendan and I went for a run together and did a stair sprint workout. We sprinted up this flight of stairs, walked down and repeated 5 times. Talk about HARD! With the new year approaching, it's a time to reflect upon the year that's closing, and think about what this year will bring. Without focus, nothing can come to fruition. 2007 Was a CRAZY year for me. Too many downs to mention - but then there were incredible ups as well. CrossFit North Santa Cruz opened it's doors and continues to florish. Brendan and I put our love to the test many times and came out of every lull a stronger couple more in love with eachother. My relationship with my children has matured and deepened like I've always hoped for. Brendan and I are looking to buy a house with more room for the family near the beach and are incredibly excited to hunt together. The kids are stoked too, even though they love this house. I have a feeling deep inside me that tells me this new year, 2008, will bring to me things I have secretly dreamed of and hoped for. I'm excited of the posibilities and feel stronger than I ever have. Physically I am stronger, but emotionally I am a rock! I have been knocked down time after time, incidence after incidence - and guess what ? I got right back up dusted myself off, wiped my tears.....and got back to business. (Well, my daughter Sarah, my son Brandon and my man Brendan actually took turns drying those tears...) That which does not kill me - can only make me stronger! It's now my motto......people would love to watch me fail in this life - but that will NEVER happen. What are YOU looking forward to this new year ? What goals have to set your eyes on to achieve ? And how are you going to get there ? I would REALLY like to hear....lets inspire eachother to become the person you strive to be in this life. Afterall, this is NOT a dress rehersal. As my pastor used to say.....

Today's Workout :

Row 800 meters alternate 100 meters hard, 100 meters easy
Warm up stretches with stick.

Max Backsquat
10-5-3-3-2-2-1-1-

155 was my max today (batteling a flu. It's all I had in me today)

100 burpees for time:

9:32 (man this hurt after the squats)

Run 6 miles on treadmill. Start 1 mile warm up pace, Mile 2 & 3 7:53 pace. Mile 4 & 5 7:15 pace. Mile 6 kick it up to a 7:00 pace. I haven't been able to run much and my hip felt okay. My speed is still NOT there, but time to get it back is NOW! Boston waits for no one!!

After that I cleaned up, had a Zone lunch and settled in by the fire curled up in bed with my daughter to watch movies and get better. Brendan came home early to play the new Playstation 3 with Brandon. They love playing games together. They're good friends. Just what i hoped for :) Have a great day all.......

Today's Zone Meals :

6am Balance bar (2 blocks)
9am 2 egg omelet with mushrooms, spinach and feta cheese. 1/2 small bagel with butter. (3 blocks)
12 noon 1 ounce cheese, 1/2 apple, 6 almonds (1 block)
2pm 3 ounces ground turkey with tomatoe sauce, 1 pear, 6 cashews (2 blocks)
6pm dinner will probably be turkey burger, green beans and brocolli with garlic sauce, roasted almonds (2 blocks)
8-9pm some 2 block snack......

12 blocks for the day.

Day After Christmas Fun

We went to the mall today and fought the mad house of people. Brandon Brendan and I pooled our money together and gift cards we received to buy a Playstation 3 for Little B......well, for Big B too :) They were stoked! We got a couple games and tried it out. The graphics look amazing. We can also watch Bluetooth movies on it too.

Workout :

Ran 6 miles outside and felt great! No hip problem, the weather was awesome and sunny and it felt amazingly refreshing to be outside running with no pain. My hip is back to normal. Thank you God! We're going to Brendan's moms tonight to hook up with his sister and brother in law and their kids to exchange gifts. Haveta get to bed early though - 5 am clients tomorrow....Hope you all had a great Christmas too.

Christmas lovers...

Me and Brendan after we got home ready to relax. We put on a movie and hung out with the kids. Sarah game us manicures with her new set and made our nails all shiney!

No workout on Christmas day.......

my cookie monsters!!

Look what we won at the gift exchange game!!! 2 HUGE boxes of chocolate chip cookies!!! They were both so stoked! :)

Christmas with family....

My Sarah, Lindsay & Imara, me, Brandon, Lisa & Jackson, Stephanie and Hailey in front ...at the family Christmas party in San Jose. I have a huge family and they are all amazing. We've been through SO MUCH as a family and it's only made us closer. My cousins are all my best friends and I remain close to them all. It's weird because Brendan doesn't have a large family - most peoples families aren't as large or as close as mine is - and I forget that we may seem weird to others. Brendan fits right in and they all LOVE him. My dad always steals Brendan away from me when we walk in the door. They talk about football, working out, when I was little - you name it. It's nice to see them getting along and actually having things in common. I think its because they are both mens men....:)

Armenian Ass Whopping!!

So this is Seven (Sevaughn) he came to CrossFit NSC and challenged me to a workout to be videoed for a documentary he's doing about CrossFit. I do NOT like being video taped for a workout - I feel pressured to do good and win and feel horrible when I don't meet my expectations or the expectations of others. So, when I was asked to do this workout I hesitated, but then agreed because in the end, it really is an honor to be asked to do these things for the main CrossFit site. Anyway, the workout was :

7 ring dips
400 meter run
21 kettlebell swings
12 pullups

x3 rounds for time. Basically Helen with sme ring dips thrown in for fun?! I started off bad because my wristbuckled on the very first dip....I pulled it together and caught up to Seven on the run and sprinted past him. I took me a few breaths to pull it together before getting the damn kb...we played cat and mouse like this the whole race. He would kick my ass....I would sprint to catch him on the runs and pass him.....he's passme on the kb's....I'd pass him on the pullups....he's get me on the dips. THE WHOLE 3 ROUNDS!! Then I managed to beat him - but barely. I'm claiming it though. Take that Seven!! Next time I'll win by a bigger margin. Let me add that I weigh only 105 and he's like 170 or so and we used to same weight.....:)

Brendan was proud of me and so was the camera crew. Thanks Patrick and Tony!!

Christmas Party!!!

My awesome client Marian and I at her
Christmas party in her new house off 26th. Marian and her man Ian have been training with me for a while now and let me just say - they are incredible athletes! Marian has muscle like she never had before, can do squats without falling forward, and just kicks ass. Always tries her hardest, and that makes for a dream client for me. Merry Christmas!

Powerful Woman....

This is a pic from my Mad Max/Tank Girl photo shoot last year.....I LOVE the way they came out!!

CrossFit workout :

20 backsquats at 115#
5 rope climbs
16 back squats
4 rope climbs
12 back squats
3 rope climbs
8 back squats
2 rope climbs
4 back squats
1 rope climb

It was hard and I LOVED it!!! Today I ran 6 miles with tabata section at a level 10 on the treadmill thrown into the mix as well. I saw the idea on the crossfit main site a few days ago and watched the video and thought I'd give it a try. FUCKIN hard! But I love it that way :) I'm always up for a challenge......you should try it if you have access to a treadmill. I have Lilly right next to my bed....:)

For you Brendan :)

Just to remind you to help me stay like this by eating in the Zone!!! It's so hard with the holidays coming and man do I LOVE to cook and BAKE!! It's a thorn in my side and it sucks! Why can't I just eat whatever the hell I want!? Right now it would be a big dish of hot gooey home made fruit and cinnamon rolls - extra icing!! Zone?? Oh yea......zone......

Workout......

I had a great day ysterday and got some PR's then turned around today and did the same!!

Yesterday's workout :

deadlift
3-3-3-3-3-3-3

I got to 170 for the last set. A couple months ago my 3 rep max was 160.

Push press
3-3-3-3-3-3-3

I got to 100 pounds! My old 3 rep max was 90!!

Today we did this workout :
25 handstand pushups run 400 meters
20 handstand pushups run 400 meters
15 handstand pushups run 400 meters
10 handstand pushups run 400 meters
5 handstand pushups run 400 meters

I did 6 handstand pushups to the ground and up (never did that before) then finished the
workout by touching down to an abmat under my head and pressing out. Never did that before either!!
I was stoked!! Guess I'm getting stronger even though I don't look like I am :) Still only weigh 105 - 106. I'm trying - I'm trying. My running has been a little hindered since my hip injury. It comes and goes. Tomorrow I am planning on doing a tempo run outside using some of the POSE techniques I learned about. :)

Jumping pullups on the dip bars

She's so tiny we did the pullups on the dip bars - it worked out perfectly! Here I am making sure she comes to full extension at the bottom of the pullups.....Great job today Chloe!!!

Miss Chloe Buttercup

My youngest client. She moves like an angel and is super stoked on CrossFit. She's fun to teach and coach and always tries what I dish out to her. Today she learned how to row, push press and jumping pull ups. She pretty much rules! And she's only 5!!! Just think what she'll be like when she's 10 , or 15!!! Amazing athlete!

lashes anyone ???

No they are NOT fake! I've been using this lash conditioner I heard about from my friend and my lashes have grown so long that it's amazing! Only one light coat of mascara and I don't even actually need it anymore! I love this stuff!!!!

New Warriors Fans!!!

We've been converted!!! We love the Warriors and watching basketball.....super fun!!!

Shaq Attack!

The man hold a basketball like it's a toy.....

Warriors Basketball Game!!!

The kids were SUPER STOKED to get to see the Warriors b ball game in Oak town last Friday night. We've never been to a game before and man was it fun! They played thre Heat - Shaq's team - we had amazing tickets so we were super close to the guys - they're ginormous! Everybody was in to the vibe of the game and the guys in front of us turned around and hi tened Sarah when the Warriors made the shot that brought them ahead.....we're planning on going back a lot!! We've been to the Sharks and the Warriors within a couple weeks. Next - football!!!!

Comedian Dane Cook!!!

Brendan and I went to see comedian Dane Cook at the HP Pavillion last Wednesday night and the show was so funny my stomach hurt !! We love his comedy. The only thing missing were the kids - the show is NOT PG.....if you get a chance check him out....funny as hell

Santa Cruz Drive-ins Close Down!!

So last weekend was the LAST weekend for the Santa Cruz drive-ins. The only drive ins around here - or even San Jozse for that matter. I saw a while back on the Discovery Channel a special on the drive in culture in the United States. Seems there are only something like 16 left in the ENTIRE USA!!! Now there are only 15 left!! Brendan and I have taken the kids many night to see a show bundled up in the back of his pickup.....tons of snacks.....hot coffee.....just loving it! So, I managed to talk a bunch of CrossFit NSC people to partake in the last weekend and see the Bee Movie with Fred Clause. Okay, so the movies weren't all that - but we made it awesome! I cooked a huge pot of Zoned Turkey Chili, cornbread with honey butter and baked up a large batch of chocolate chip cookies dipped in melted chocolate - and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies dipped in white chocolate with sprinkles......as you can see they were a big hit! Here's Hunter, Brendan, Ronnie and Zack all cuddling in the back of my XTerra eating cookies and milk. How cute are they!!??