Me and one of my heros!

This is me with one of my CrossFit heroes, Nicole Saturday night on Colorado. This chick is a powerhouse and aint foolin around! She kicks serious ass and I loved hangingout with her. Maybe some of that intensity will rub off on me ;) 

CrossFit Certification Seminar in Colorado...

Eva T., Coach, Me, Brendan and Nicole in Colorado this past weekend. I cannot say enough about how incredible the seminar was for me. Listening to Coach speak was so informative. He is amazing and the seminar taught me tons. We would listen to coach speak on a technique and watch Nicole perform it then head to the gym to practice it. We ended the day by doing "Fran" 21-15-9 thrusters and pull ups. The altitude gave me a problem even when i wasn't exercising because of my asthma - but I finished in 5:35 using 53 pounds - less then perscribed, but breathing with half a lung wised me up to not push it too hard. We all hooked up for dinner and drinks - then went to this huge arcade/bowling alley for more drinks and to just chill. I had a great time getting to know Nicole more and everybody made me feel like part of the CrossFit family. The one overwhelming observation I did make was about the connection CrossFitters have with eachother. Every person I met was from different states, backgrounds, athletic abilities and such - but the one common thread they all shared was CrossFit. The encouragement, loyality and support definitely showed among all the trainers I met, and even the people that were there to get certified or to learn more like me. I spent a lot of time listening and watching - that's how I take new things in. Thanks to everybody there who encouraged me throughout the weekend with the approving "nod" while I performed squats and cleans - and to Eva and B for getting me through Fran. You guys are amazing and I look up to all of you!!! 

One of the good ones....

This is my buddy Emily. She has been my running partner for several years now, and one of the few friends who stayed friends with me after the past year of changes in my life. Emily is a dedicated athlete and has been working super hard in law school for the past 3 years....I haven't been able to run with her since she started school, or even see her that often.....but when we do get the chance to hang out, it's like no time passed. She is amazing to me! Emily has helped me become a faster runner - chasing her was HARD work!! Every Saturday we would hook up and run 13 miles non stop talkiing and before we knew it - we were done in 1:37 or so....that's how you get better. Train with somebody who is better than YOU!!!Okay, so this is a shitty picture of me, but I love it cuz Trexel is with me!!! Love you Trexelator!! We hope to get together for a run REAL soon and I can't wait!! 

Target Practice!!

Todays workout was a hard one! Sumo deadlift high pulls at 65 pounds & push press 65 pounds Tabata style. Alternate between both exercises 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 8 rounds. It was fun and HARD!! Especially after the overhead squats from last night....my upper body felt shot. Then we did L sits holding as long as we could until the combined time came to 15 minutes. The longest I held was 38 seconds - legs straight and toes pointed. I need to get better at that. Annie busted out 1 minute holds each time, and she just had a baby. She is my hero!!! After that, for fun Brendan and I did some Glute/Ham sit ups with a 6 pound ball throwing at the target and catching it, then extending with ball overhead touching the floor....repeated 21-15-9 reps with ab mat sit ups after each round. WHEW!! I feel my abs now :) I leave for Colorado first thing in the morning for the CrossFit certification seminar. Please send some love to me because I am fearful of flying and can use it!!!

Thought for the day :"Do one things a day that scares you"
Well--this will be practiced tomorrow when I am flying overhead in a TUBE!!! 

Playing around with Brendan...

Today I worked out with Brendan in the evening - I had way too much going on in the daytime. I ran 5.5 miles at 6am working on getting my speed back. So I managed to do a 6:35 minute mile the entire time, which made me VERY happy!! Then off to Scotts Valley to drop off the kids and meet up with Gretchen and Lara for a 7.3 or so mile loop up Bean Creek Road. I LOVE running with them...plus we all had on our skirts - but I forgot the camera on our run which SUCKED cuz the road was incredibly beautiful today AND we all looked super cute ;) I drove back and forth to Sv like 6 times today...whew! Sometimes being a mom is tiring and I don't have a lot of time to relax. Okay, today's workout was :

15 overhead squats 55pounds
15 ring dipps
5 rounds.... I have been doing what coach B told me and do dipps when I am at Crossfit - deep ones. So this morning when I stopped by the gym I did 15 and didn't know i was gunna be doing more tonight!!! Let me just say that my tricepts and shoulders are KILLING ME!! Geesh - maybe I'll actually start getting some more muscle now ;) Yesterdays workout was :

Row 250 meters
deadlift 115 pounds 5 reps
ring dipps 5 reps
repeat 7 rounds

I went for a run up North Rodeo Gulch after the workout yesterday too. Super fun!! I have been having great runs and feeling a lot stronger. When I run speed it hurts, but i feel like I am starting to get it back. When I run slower with people, I feel like I could run no problem forever at the slower pace. Hmm...who knows what's next for me....

"That which matters the most must never give way to that which matters least" - todays thought to ponder baby :) 

Baby Dylan

Check out www.crossfitsantacruz.com - I'm on there with the WOD cleaning & jerking baby!!

Okay, here's my favorite baby again. Uncle B and Auntie Shari bought her a new hat in SF on Sunday...it has a skull and crossbones so now she can be badass like us too!!! God she is so frickin cute!!! I wish I got to hang with her oonger today, but had to workout at 9 then rush home for the heater guy to put in a new heater so we don't freeze this winter!! Maybe tomorow I can steal her for a while!!!

Hold em up!!

Today's workout was hard, but after being inspired yesterday by those incredible O-lifters I was ready to dig in! Brendan ran the show for the 9:00 class - we did clean & jerks with pullups 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps. I used 25# dbs for the c&j and real pull ups. Then we did L-sits Tabata style mixed with 50 ab mat sit ups - hands behind the shoulders x2. I finished first, but forgot my time. Brendan had us do a new twist to the L sit today....a pass through with a L hold at the finish ! I thought L sits were hard enough....but this made them even harder!! I just LOVE the way he comes up with exercises and how he mixes them together to form a tough workout. I look forward to learning more about technique and training by watching him closely. Hey, that won't be a problem for me since i can't take my eyes off of him as it is ;) This am I ran 7 miles at an easy pace on the treadmill at 6:00...tonight I get to run with Nicole for about 7 along the ocean. Maybe Brendan will come too!! Bren just registered me for my first level of certification as a CrossFit trainer...we fly out this Friday for Colorado where I will attend the cert seminar to learn, and he will be a head trainer. I can't wait!!! I am so excited to finially start the steps to becoming a trainer! I have been interested in training people for about 6 years now, but never took it to the next level since I was home schooling my children full time then. Brendan has been instrumental in pushing me along to better myself and to get focused on what I want out of life. There are so many reasons he came into my life, that being just one of them. He tells me all the time that i can do anything. I have a bad habit of saying negative things about myself and believing them. He makes me stop the talk and gives me positive words about myself in place. I actually don't know when or where I picked up the belief system that I am a failure and will never be successful at anything...some of it goes way back to my childhood for SURE...but the rest just lies in me being overly critical of myself and my performance. It ends up paralyzing me to the point where I am afraid to even try. NO MORE!!! This week I am going to focus on the good in me, the goals I have accomplished and the successes I have had. Every day....baby steps. Getting on a plane will be difficult since I am terrified of flying ever since I lost Geoffrey, the first love of my life, in a plane crash. I'm going to try and be strong, to not let fear grip me and overwhelm me. Send me some love!!!

Olympic Lifting competition

Today Brendan and I went to San Francisco to support our friend and fellow Crossfit Queen, Eva Twardokens at her first O lifting competition. Brendan has been coaching her along so he needed to be there to screem "stand up!!" and i just cheered for her!! She is such my hero! I swear watching these women was inspiring to me! I am at the other end of the spectrum as far as athletics is concerned. ...I am a marathon runner and my competitions take at least 3 hours. I can run for as long as a need to. This was a matter of seconds with strength and explosiveness. Something I am not full of. Eva made it look super easy and she stuck all 6 of her lifts. In fact, she came in 2nd place. :) We are so proud of her and I can't wait to watch her again and again. Watching these athletes really made me think about my own goals...what ARE they ? Why haven't I had the focus that I used to have ? Now I know it has been a rough year for me, but at some point I have to stop the excuses and start becoming the focused, driven athlete I used to be and then some. Boston is coming in April `and I do have a pretty tough goal to meet there. Time to pick myself up off the ground, train hard and stop feeling sorry for myself!! If these women can do it....then why can't I ? Thanks Eva for the inspiration and thanks to all the awesome women there who fanned the flame inside me for competition. I REALIZE I HAVE MISSED IT!!! More than I thought...... 

Happy Birthday to Lanie....

Saturday we went to see my friend Delane and give her her very first Classic Hardware necklace for her birthday gift. I LOVE Classic Hardware - check out their website...www.classichardware.com I'm sure if you love tattoos you'll want this jewelery ! She loved it and I'm sure I'll get her more (me too!!!) Delane is a good friend and I hope to hang out with her more often and go for rides on our cruiser bikes. She only lives up the street so we have no excuses!!! 

Stuck on the treadmill....

So....today I didn't get to run outside like i wanted - my son Brandon has strep throat. Being a mom means others come before you, and I am fine with that. Today Lilly was my training partner and I ran 10 miles on her at tempo pace, around a 7:51 minute mile. It felt great, even though I was staring at a wall the entire time :(
Brandon needed me at home to take care of him, so at least the miles got in and I feel better starting my day off right. I am registered for the Mt. Diablo Trail Challenge half marathon tomorrow - but it looks like the mountain will have to put others besides myself to the test. I was looking forward to running those trails in the mud and getting really dirty. But, there is always another race and another time.... I just hope Brandon gets better quickly. I HATE seeing my children sick and uncomfortable. So...if I can run 10 miles in one spot staring at a wall....you should get out there and MOVE today. You'll be glad you did. Cheers!!! 

Mom's in Motion

I just had to add this picture because my hero studette fellow mother is kicking ass on the muscle up section of the workout. I however do NOT have a damn muscle up yet....so I had to do 45 ring dips, and 45 pullups to equal their 15 muscle ups. WTF!!?? I must practice until i get one. Brendan told me to do at least 15 deep dips everytime I'm at Crossfit to prepare and get me stronger. I'm on it coach!!! 

Getting Some

Even after a late night at the concert we still tackled a tough workout!
1 mile bike sprint
30 box jumps
30 Kettle bell swings
1 mile bike sprint
45 pull ups
45 ring dips/jump to support
1 mile bike sprint
30 box jumps
30 KB swing

And abs afterwards! I Have the best boyfriend EVER - he's an amazing coach and I LOVE working out with him and watching him beat me!! Whew...now I can rest ;) 

Rock on Baby....

Brendan, me, Traci and Brian at the Crue concert last night. I went to high school with Brian Bozo and it was great to go to a concert with him and meet his wife. She was super cool and Brian is still the same.... What a fun night!!! 

Sexy Steven Tyler

Aerosmith was incredible...of course! Steven is the ultimate rock star for sure....they sounded amazing and again, enjoyed the music and had a blast!! 

Tommy Lee...

What can I say...he ROCKS!!! Plous this is a kick ass picture....see how close we were.... 

MOTLEY CRUE AEROSMITH CONCERT!!!

Last night I lost my mind at the Shoreline!! Brendan and I had great seats....in the 200's and had the best time I think I have ever had at a concert. Crue sounded awesome - they have always been my favorite band!! Yes, this picture is of Nikki Sixx...I LOVE him!! I danced, sang, and shouted at the devil until they left the stage...it was Brendan's first Crue concert and his first Aerosmith show too....he had a great time! 

Halloween fun with cousins...

We had a great time last night trick or treating. We went to Scotts Valley in the Vineyards housing area where it was filled with kids in costumes. I felt sorry for the home owners there...the amount of money they must have spent on candy to keep up with the continual stream of trick or treaters was probably crazy!! Then we headed back to Santa Cruz and hooked up with our cousins who live around the corner from us. This is my daughter Sarah, my son Brandon and in the front little cousin Hailey and her brother, cousin Jesse. Jesse managed to have a trampoline accident the day before Halloween which fractured his skull and gave him one helluva shiner. He should have dressed up as a UFC fighter ;) 

Look at the baby!!!

I am in LOVE with Annies baby - Dillon Kioko....she is the cutest little thing i have seen in a long time. Plus I get to play auntie at Crossfit and rock her to sleep....sometimes even feed her the bottle while mom is teaching class. I tell you what...when those days come, I am the happiest chick around. I always wait for Dillon to cry then I swoop in and take her. I have always loved babies. In fact, I am the happiest when I have a baby in my arms to cuddle, rock and love. Annie dressed her up like Curious George for Halloween and her costume was adorable! Hopefully she will be there tomorrow at 10:00 so i can play auntie again!!! 

There's more to life....

than running and competing. I was starting to feel a little envious of people who can put alot of time and energy into competing in long races and training and traveling to awesome locations for racing. Then I remembered something my friend Gretchen told me on one of our runs. She told me about herself in college, and how she was one of the best in track and field, except for one rival that she always wanted to beat. (Now I may get some of the story incorrect, but the basic message will be right.) Anyway, Gretchen had a decisioon to make - should i continue in my training and pursue being the best ? Or do I stop and go after what matters more in life ? Well - she decided to get married and raise a family. Her rival decided to continue on....years later after Gretchen's kids were a little older she started running again..not as fast and as hard as before, but she ran because she LOVED it.. at one of the races she saw her rival there. Gretchen was feeling slow and maybe a little less than...but her rival told her how she envied Gretchen because she had kids and she never took the time to have them and she was too old for that now.

Like what happens to people when they put their lives in such a selfish state when the glory is allover ? What if they break a leg ? What will they have when they get old and can't run anymore ? I have my children!!! They are my legacy and way more important than any race or selfish ambition I could EVER have. I am in love with life and being with those who matter to me...I am not envious anymore. Because I know in their heart of hearts they wish they took the time away from themselves to have their own children....thanks Gretchen and Robin for diving me perspective . I love you guys!!! Now....let's go for a run!!! 

Dancing with friends....

Jason, Meadow, Wendy, Brendan and I at the show having a blast!! I loved dressing up with friends and especially Brendan. We danced, and watched Meadow shake her ass too. I've never actually gotten to dress up and go out for halloween before.....it was more fun than I thought it would be and I hope to do it every year. Meadow had Brendan and my wedding completly planned out - she even took pictures last night that she will use for our invitations....:) God I love her.... I am so grateful to have good friends in my life and such an amazing boyfriend. Brendan really is my best friend. Today we hung out all day together and I never get enough of him. What an amazing feeling that is....