This is my beautiful daughter (the blonde) and her friend Abby at graduation. I can't believe high school is her next stop!! I AM getting old!!I'm so proud of her and how hard she's orked these past years....high school will be amazig for her. My kids are everything to me...they make my life wonderful and everyday I am thankful that I get to be their mom.
Okay...so I've been MIA again for a long time! Sorry bout that....life gets busy around here.
Okay so I am a little out of order here - but I wanted to catch up with my posts. I have been training hard and lifting heavy in the hopes to build some strength on this little frame of mine. If you read the post before this one you'll see that I PR'd on my 5 rep deadlift, my 3 rep shoulder press, and my 5 rep back squat this week. It's been a great week for me!! I believe that getting enough sleep (which I am lucky to do), eating healthy in the Zone, taking the right supplements, having the right programming and happiness in your life can move mountains in your training. I am really hard on myself as far as what I think I should be able to do and I am competitive sometimes to a fault. If I don't do what I had my mind set on it throws me off the whole day. Brendan is exactly like that but he never lets himself down! He's a machine...and I love it!
What a handsome guy my son Brandon is! He LOVES the Sharks and we were so lucky that Brendan's client Dave Chincuili gave us 5 tickets to the game 7 of the playoffs last Tuesday night. We of course were super stoked to get to go to this game. Brendan, me, my son and my daughter Sarah and her new boyfriend (also Brendan's friend) Ryan went. It was an exciting game and the Sharks WON!! At one point the crowd was so loud I had to actually plug my ears!! My son is a walking billboard for CrossFit - here hes managed to endorse both!
A couple weeks back was the hottest Santa Cruz has been. Brendan and I enjoyed the weekend outdoors riding bikes and we didn't drive at all!
Eating ice cream!!! When cheat day comes it's on...I love sweets so I can't wait for free day. Usually I am good all week - staying in the Zone or Clean Eating so when the weekend rolls around Brendan and I are a little more laxed on our diets. More often than not we still maintain our healthy balanced meals....just let ourselves have a little extra sweet at night....like ice cream.
These crazy 5am er women are nuts! They came in today dressed in bubble wrap and wore signs saying No Zone, We Need XFit NSC!! They made it so fun to be up early at 5am coaching....Renee, Annie and Lindy are all Brendan and my Zone clients and they are at every 5 am class M, W and Friday taught by Brendan. They are amazing athletes and I have watched them get stronger and stronger. Now that they are entering the Zone - watch out for em!! I still think they're dealing with half a deck dressing up like this at 4am just to have fun....they rule!
My daughter Sarah and Brendan being way too cool on Easter. Its been a while since I blogged, so again I have some catching up to do. I've still been training hard, and seeing results. Here's my week of training....
So here's the corrected form....getting better.... mind you this is the first day I learned it. I am WAY better at this technique now.
What do you see in this picture with my form ? Can you even pick up on the wrongs here ? For years I have been competing at races from 10 k's to marathons and I was even concidered FAST - best marathon time is 3:22....but I guess that's just my point. After so many years of doing it WRONG my body had no choice but to rebel - I've been down for 1.5 years with pain unable to run let alone compete. Don't get me wrong - I would run anyway - hell if I didn't I don't think anybody would want to be around me I'd be so grumpy! But it was with major penelty that i ran - pain and limping, etc until I did it to myself the next time. Retarded I know.....This is where Brian MacKenzie cameinto my life, changed it and made me whole again - I'm able ro run like a pro once more with ZERO pain....!!!!
We should operate our daily lives from a place of appreciation. When we see our loved ones, friends, even strangers with appreciation being the first thought of how we view them - our problems or depression or whatever it is that leaves you feeling heavy or down, would just dissipate. In turn our lives would work better. Those around us would benefit from the loving attitude, problems that arise would more then likely roll off us instead of taking us down for the count - everything in our daily lives would just improve.....AND those around us - THEIR lives would improve as a run off of the change WE decide to make. So - then if it's a win-win situation, why is it so damn hard to do all the time....every day.....every thought ? When you are challenged spend time just looking around you. There are a million things in nature we can appreciate .....on my hard days when I am stressed, or whatever and having a hard time finding something to move my attitude towards a state of appreciation - I sit on my porce and look at my flowers. You just cannot deny that there's a God when you take the time to check out how beautiful they are, ya know ? The colors are vibrant, the design complicated, and they are here for us to enjoy. So...after taking these pictures my day was turned on the right path - appreciation. For my children, Brendan, my home, my job that I LOVE, my clients, the list goes on for days!!!
That's my boy on the left and his friend Jacob learning the front squat. Perfect rack position!! They are becoming good little athletes.....I gave them a quickie workout yesterday.....15 front squats.....20 wall ball......x3 rounds. Then 1 minute hand stand holds. If you come down, get back up and complete the minute. Jacob has handstand pushups, and Brandon can hold it for almost 25 seconds before he comes down.
I've been MIA for wuite some time now. Where have I been ? Well....we moved into a new big beautiful home and I've just now feel settled in. I have still been training HARD - in fact since I started training with Brian Mackenzie my training has stepped up quite a bit. One of my last posts was to say how much I've learned about running and form from the Newport Running & Endurance CrossFit Seminar. My life and running passion has been transformed by the amazing men at Genetic Potential - CrossFit Newport, CA. I am going to try REAL hard to keep an updated account of my training, skills, and CrossFit workouts so hopefully I can inspire others and I have been inspired by Brian.
Brian MacKenzie, Mike Collins me and Carl.....all from Genetic Potential and Orange County Multi Sport. Wish me luck as I give my training to Brian and develop correct running form. Boston - here I come!!! Thanks guys for getting me back out on the road that I love so much.....it's like I was born again or something - silly I know - but it sure feels like I was asleep for a year and just came out of that.....
Turns out I run like SHIT! This weekend was life changing for me. I have been suffering from pain and because of that pain can't compete - which I love to do. After just one weekend at Genetic Potential with Brian MacKenzie and Mike Collins - I have learned the proper running form and in turn can run with ZERO pain. I'm telling you - these men are amazing ! What they teach will make you a faster runner and it feels effortless! Check out Brian at Cross Fit Newport Beach or google Genetic Potential...I'm now his athlete and am learning what he knows......so I can bring it to you!!!
My kids are the best things I have on Earth (besides Brendan of course) We have gone through so much and our relationships get stronger and stronger. They were amazing in Newport. They saw how excited I was to learn and to try the new techniques and they cheered me on each day.....love you guys!
My daughter and son went to the endurance cert with me this past weekend. I was excited to take them along....we were going to drive, but at the last minute flew there....I HATE to fly, but with my kids with me it was easy :)
This is me and my running partner Emily at the Spirit of the Marathon movie. man talk about inspiring!! We had some great laughs and remembered our marathon experience together....I walked away from that movie excited to start up racing again.....to get healthy, injury free and to train hard to reach my goals. I knew the Endurance & Running Certification in Newport Beach was the following weekend and perfect timing. I can't wait to see what's in store for me in Newport !! I have a special bond with Emily. We met at 24 hour Fitness in like the year 2000 I think ? I was getting ready to run the 199 mile Providian Relay with my team and needed another runner. Emily looked like she was a runner and so I walked up to her and asked her if she wanted to race with my team - the rest is history! No matter how much time goes by until we see eachother - it's always as though time stood still and we start up where we left off. That's what a real friend is. She is now a lawyer - and we plan to start up our runs together again :)
Last week we all went to dinner with Mads, his wife Jeni their son Rasmus, Annie, Jake and Dylan (my favorite baby in the whole world). It was a fun night! Mads and Jen came all the way from sweden to train with Annie and Brendan. Some people vacation to see places - CrossFitters vacation to see other CrossFit boxes and train with HQ trainers. I think that's incredible! Bacl to eating good - training hard - and starting this year off right.
Taking Tracy's lead I have been getting my food prepared for the day when given the time. It's a challenge to find the time. I find that I can pack my kids' lunches, my man's lunch but when it comes to me - it's harder for me to do. I know - I need to make myself FIRST - that's one of my things to change for this year.
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!!
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.
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.
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 ?
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.....
