The Incredible Shrinking Krista

Thursday, November 22, 2012

I did a double...

Yesterday, on the day before thanksgiving, I did a double workout.  It was the first time I have ever done that, and I wasn't all that sure it was going to happen.  I headed out to the box at 8:45 with my buddy, Faith, so she could kind of get an idea of what CrossFit is all about.  I have been telling her about it since I started, but she wanted to see what it was.

I explained how CrossFit works, about the whiteboards with the WOD written on it, and our times/scores on them.  Then it was time to get started.

WOD:

200 meter run
5 Hand Stand Push Ups (I can't do these yet, so I put my knees on a box, hands on a floor)
10 pull-ups (I still have to use the strongest bands/red)
15 crucifix push ups (the girlie kind, on my knees)
20 Kettlebell swings (26# for me)

Each round was 52 points, I made it through 3 complete rounds, for a total of 156 points.

Afterwards I went home for some laundry and housework to get ready for our trip to barney's hometown for the weekend.  I finally got up the nerve to re-arrange our bedroom, so my 2nd workout involved the moving of our queen-sized bed, a triple dresser with a mirror, a chest of drawers, a double-dresser, 2 night stands and a cedar chest.  Mid-afternoon, I started to notice a discoloration on my thighs and was trying to figure out how I had bruises in straight-lines across my thighs, just above my knees....It appears the modified hand-stand push-ups on the box have left me with some pretty impressive battle-wounds.  See pictures:

Right Leg

Left Leg





Finally, I had decided to do a double workout, and promised my buddy Jeff Krenrich I would do the double, and I'd meet him at the box at 6:30 for a second workout. I also decided to I could almost definitely beat my time from the morning, and I needed to see if I was right. So...it was off to WOD #2 of the day and what amounted to a 3rd workout after the re-arranging of the bedroom furniture.

This time I decided to do 100 meter runs instead of 2, because of the swelling in my ankle and the exhaustion after the furniture changes. This actually worked to my benefit I think, since running isn't my strong-suit. I was able to bet through the entire WOD 3x again, and complete the 4th run, HSPU, Pull-ups and 6 of my crucifix push-ups. My score for my second WOD was 175. It felt really good to get a second workout in, especially since I was going to be away from the box the rest of the weekend. I was right, I could beat my original time.  I knew I had it in me.

Unlike in previous years, I didn't stuff myself to the point of nausea with all of the Thanksgiving goodies. I didn't even eat a piece of pie. I did eat some mashed potatoes, a bit of Sweet Potato Casserole, 2 yeast rolls and a little bit of Turkey.

Tomorrow I'm going to swim some laps in the hotel pool, and Saturday evening when we get home, I'm going to be going for a run, on Sunday too.  I've got to get some serious miles in to get ready for this race
in February at Disney.  I can't get swept again, and I won't allow me to sabotage myself again, as I have always done in the past.  I deserve better.  I deserve to succeed.  I deserve to accomplish what I have set out to do.  

Monday, November 19, 2012

Grace?!?! Um, I need some

Wowie, wow!!

I returned to CrossFit APX tonight, and as a thanks for my absence, I was welcomed back with an ass-kicking pair of WODs that left me in the parking lot puking after the first, and a 3rd time heaving in the midst of the second workout.  Now, anyone who knows me will tell you that I don't believe in vomiting.  I was pregnant 4 times, and could count on 1 hand the number of times I vomited.  I didn't eat chicken for 7-1/2 months while pregnant with Ada because that was what caused me to be sick with her.  With Justin and Henry, it was brushing my teeth, which I did research and found Cinnamon toothpaste to be the cure.  With Ella, it was actually bronchitis, and coughing till my body revolted.  I DO NOT throw up.  It is against everything I believe in.  I once joked with a therapist that diagnosed me as anorexic/bulimic that I couldn't even bulimic and do it right because I binged, but forgot to throw it back up.  That diagnosis has now been amended to be Binge Eating Disorder.  Sometimes I don't eat at all, other times, I can eat 2,000 calories in 1 sitting.  Depends on where I am emotionally.

At any rate...Today's WODs kicked my BOO-TAY!

WOD #1, "Grace"

30 Ground to Overhead, and we were to use a Clean & Split Jerk to accomplish this.  RX for ladies was 95#.  I went with 65, and man-oh-man, was I feeling it.  After the first 10 in 1:18, I was hoping I could finish in under 5 minutes.  It took me 5:18.  One of the members there for the 6:30 workout said he was changing his shoes and all he heard was "shit, F&*%, and barbells hitting the floor".  Not all that lady-like, I know....and all the while I was wearing my Minnie Mouse t-shirt that says, "I look this cute every day."  Um, cute isn't exactly the terminology to describe me during "Grace", and neither is "Grace".

I grabbed a drink of water, and my gag reflex was in full on hyper-sensitivity, because the water hit my throat and it and my lunch came right back up, not once, but twice.  Then it was time to get back in the box and get ready for WOD #2.  I missed the explanation, but we were counted off in 2's because we had so many people and we wouldn't have enough space to do the bar work all at the same time.

WOD #2: (I started at the end of the WOD, so what I'm typing is what I did, while others started somewhere else in the workout.

30 burpees (I modified mine after the first 8 to use the box, because my hip flexor was really smarting and my stomach was not on board for full-on burpees)
20 walking lunges with a 25# plate overhead
30 T2B (I still can't do these, but did curls that were a lot more like Knees-to-Elbows)
30 box jumps (12" box)
30 Push Press (RX for ladies was 45, I did 65 still)  with a quick run to the parking lot after the 20th
15 jumping pull-ups

I finished in 18:09.  Man, it feels good to have completed it, but boy do I HATE to be sick.  I finished over an hour and a half ago, but I'm afraid to eat because I'm afraid it won't stay down.  Not cool!!  I've got my eye on some yogurt, just need to brave it.

What an awesome welcome back WOD.  That just teaches me that staying away means you'll always get your butt kicked when you come back.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Soapbox

Well, you have all probably noticed that I haven't posted about my workouts this week and the very simple reason for that is that I haven't worked out.  I have been fighting migraines all week, and just feeling unmotivated to do anything other than pull the covers up over my head pretending that the world doesn't exist.  Let me explain why.

First, I had such a horribly migraine this weekend, one so bad that I felt like my eyeballs were pulsating in their sockets and I could SEE my heartbeat.  It took me a good couple of days, till late Wednesday afternoon to finally completely get rid of the pain.

Then there have been a lot of my friends going through extremely difficult times.  I needed to step back and re-evaluate where I was myself and what my motivations for things are. I have been privy to the knowledge that a group of people who claim to be friends and Christians are apparently doing all they possibly can to demolish the business and reputation of someone who has done more for me to help me through this journey than I could ever have asked.  The fact is, the viciousness with which they are attacking this person is so offensive and frightening I can't even comprehend it.  It is a personal vendetta taken to the extreme limits of my comprehension.  I will NEVER understand how any self-respecting person could do the things that are being done in this situation.  People who are this hateful, mean and spiteful must really hate themselves to treat someone as genuine and wonderful the way that they are.

Fast forward a few days and I find out that the husband of an online friend in a group of women who have been together for 5 years since we all went through the loss of our babies that were due in May of 2008 has cancer.  This group of women have thrown baby showers for subsequent pregnancies, supported each other through addiction, domestic violence, secondary infertility, infidelity, divorce, dating, children with special needs and re-marriages.  This week we found out that the husband of one of our beloved campers has stage 4 bowel cancer and surgery is not an option.  Tori and Rob have 2 children the ages of my 2 girls, 6 and 4.  Rob has 2 older children from his previous marriage.  I cannot even begin to comprehend how they must be feeling right now, and all I can think is that I don't know how I would be able to function if I were in their shoes.  They are handling this diagnosis with more strength and grace than I can comprehend, and all I can think is how badly I wish I could be there, though I don't know that I would even be able to say ANYTHING or do ANYTHING worth saying or doing, other than offer support.

It hit me as I was wallowing in all of this drama and sadness, that if I don't get off my ass and make a serious change to my lifestyle, it could be my family that is in Tori and her boys' shoes.  It could be my family trying to explain to my kids why mommy had a stroke, or a heart attack, or one of the various other issues that comes along with morbid obesity.  So its time to get it in gear.  It is okay to grieve for my friends and to wish I could help them with everything in my power.  But the biggest thing I can do in honor, respect and tribute of them and their struggles is to make sure that my family doesn't have to walk in the same shoes they are walking in right now.

So, let me take this opportunity to tell Andrea, how much I appreciate your support, knowledge and understanding.  Your journey from bulemia to health and fitness is nothing short of amazing and miraculous.  Being able to talk to someone who has fought the fight that I'm in round 1 of right now makes it easier to put the puzzle together and almost make sense of it all.  You are an inspiration, and a consummate professional.   You treat everyone you encounter with the dignity and respect you would want in return, and it has served you well in your life and career.  You rock socks, I don't care what anyone else thinks, says, feels or posts.

Tori and Rob, I can't begin to comprehend what lies ahead of you and how you are feeling.  Please know that you and your families are in my prayers, and will remain there at all times.  If anyone is ornery enough to kick cancer's ass, it is most definitely, Mr. Contraction.  We love you both.

Princess Krista

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Where has my head been?!?!?!

So I have been trying to figure out how to reach my health and fitness goals, and have been busting my ass at CrossFit APX but not seeing the results I really desire.  Well, sometimes I hear this voice, and I will literally look around and wonder who is talking and there is NO ONE there.  Then I realize...Um, God is speaking to you....Start listening!!!

This has happened to me a few times, in my life, most recently today.  I was walking back to my office after grimacing at myself in the ladies' room mirror.  I heard this voice say, "You get out of your body what you put in it."  I walked back into my office and the coffee cup from lunch, and blueberry muffin bag from Dunkin Donuts this morning.  I can't expect my body to operate well if I feed it crap, right?!?!  And working out 3 days a week for 1 hour will certainly not undo the bad I am doing 7 days a week, all freaking day!  I've also been trying to figure out how I can get to my CrossFit workouts, fit in runs, and not lose more time with my kids.  I like my 5:30 workouts at CrossFit, but was thinking I would need to switch to morning workouts.  I have decided that I have a 3-pronged attack I'm going to try. 

1--I am going to start swimming on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at the local gym I belong to.  This should help my cardio and endurance while taking some of the load and strain off of my joints. 

2--I will be running inside on their track on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and doing my long runs on Saturday mornings, either at the American Tobacco Trail or at the lake near my house I just found out is a 2 mile loop.

3--I will continue to do my CrossFit workouts at 5:30 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

This should help me address the strength and cardio issues without killing me.  The gym opens at 5:00 am, so I just need to force myself out of bed at that unGodly hour to get in an hour of swimming or running before I get ready for work in the morning, while Barney is still home getting ready for work himself.

Then there is the Nutrition part of the attack.  I desperately need   to address this issue, or all of the workouts will be in vain for sure.  I'm going to finish reading my "for fun" book in the next few days, and by December 1st I will have also completed reading The Primal Blueprint.  I was told by my physician that this would be the best food lifestyle for me with my PCOS, so I'm going to educate myself and go with it.

The third part is proper supplementation.  As I mentioned before, I had my BioSig measurements taken by Jared Olson of Next Level Nutrition.  He sent me information on what I needed to do based on those results and blood work that I had done as well.  I have ordered the first 30 days of supplements, but need to go back and read what I am supposed to be taking, which I will begin doing on November 15. 

If I address the workouts, the nutrition and supplementation, I should start to see results.  I need to educate myself, and just like with the workouts, I need to fake it until I make it with nutrition and supplementation.  It isn't going to be an overnight cure, and it will take a while I'm sure.  But I have nothing but time. 

So--45 minute run tonight, up for a swim in the morning.  Hoping that this will help me get my mojo back, and kick-start my metabolism. 

Princess Krista

Saturday, November 10, 2012

New WOD

I went back to CrossFit last night and worked out for the first time since my race.  We worked on our planks, and on knees to elbows.  I'm finally starting to get the body mechanics of K2E, it's the strength to hold myself up and hang from the bar to be able to do them.  Holding 257 pounds up and swinging from the bar is hard on your hands.  Incidentally, I tore open 2 calousses last night.

The first Wod was 40 seconds of quick box jumps, then 20 seconds of K2E.  The goal was speed and intensity.  You were supposed to use a smaller box than you are used to, but I already use the smallest box available (12"), so I went with that, and speed wasn't really an option for me.  We didn't count reps on this WOD, the purpose was the speed and athletic movements.  We did 5 rounds of this.

The second WOD was a 400 meter run, then, in what was left of that 3 minute round you were to do as many cleans as possible.  Because I'm still recovering from the Half marathon, my right ankle is still very sore and swollen, and I still have blisters, we went with me doing 200 meters for me, then cleans.  We did 4 rounds of this one.  So I did 200 meters, then 5 cleans in the first round, 1 minute rest, didn't run the second round, but did 6 cleans, 1 minute rest, 200 meters and 5 cleans in the 3rd round 1 minute rest, and 200 meters and 4 cleans in the fourth round.  I was doing 65# cleans, and made it to 20 of them.

My ankle is still sore, so I am now VERY aware of the fact that for the Princess and every training run, I WILL be wearing my ankle brace.  I will also be wearing it during the recovery of about a week or 2 after, every single day.  I will also be icing it regularly after my runs, and after the Princess, I'll be one of those folks walking around with a bag of ice strapped to my ankle.

Today is a 3 mile run/walk for training.  I think I'm going to head over to the high school track here in town, so I know how far I am going and to help with some intervals for running/walking and consistency.  I'm going to try to do the whole 3 miles with a 200 meter jog, 200 meter walk.

Until next time....

Princess Krista

Friday, November 9, 2012

first run/walk after the half

Huge thanks to Emily for coming to meet me for my first run/walk since the half on Sunday.  I did 30 minutes last night, and will be doing 45 minutes to an hour tomorrow.  My blisters are still a bit sore, but everything else felt pretty good.  Weird thing is, my calves never once hurt or felt tight during the half but that was the first thing I felt last night.  I've got to get an interval timer or something though, to make my runs/walks more regular.  Time to kick this training thing in gear, so I can finish the PHM in under 3:30. 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Training Concerns

Okay, so after the race on Sunday, I have a list of things that I KNOW I need to address before February. 

1--I need to figure out nutrition on long runs.  I ate a Cliff Bar at about 6:00 while I was on the way to the race and nothing else until after the race was over, I'd gone back to the hotel and taken a shower, and went to IHOP.  I think this may well have contributed to my dizziness and nausea at the end of the race that had me throw in the towel.

2--I need to get some "wright socks" to wear to prevent blisters, and put vaseline on the bottoms of my feet too.

3--I need to get a GPS watch.  The HRM does nothing but overwhelm me.  The chest strap chaffes and leaves me with scabs all around my chest, and if I had a GPS, I would have known I only had .6 miles left, and wouldn't have asked some stupid cop that was clueless.

4--I need an iFitness belt to carry things in.

5--I need to make a check-list for the morning of the race so I don't forget things like I usually do

6--I will NEVER AGAIN use icy hot

7--I need to find a more effective way of communicating with my friends/loved ones while I"m on the race course.

8--for me, sometimes I need to know just what I'm capable of doing without really preparing or trying, to get an idea of what I might be able to do once I do.  I don't know that I would have had any confidence going into Princess Half Marathon if I hadn't done the race on Sunday.  Now that I know I almost did it w/o training, I'm 100% certain that if I train, I can do what I want to do, and possibly finish between 3:00 and 3:30, which would be AMAZING!!!

9--My value lies in what I believe of myself and tell myself.  I am not defined by what I am told, or what others think of me.  I have to be my own biggest fan, because depending on others to do that for me can be fickle, and frustrating.  I have always depended on others to tell me what I was capable of because I was afraid to believe my own thoughts and fail, so I figured people on the outside looking in had a more realistic perspective of my abilities.  I was wrong.  I KNOW what I can do, and I NEED to do it, regardless of what the doubters in my life try to tell me. 

Keep on dreaming, folks.

Krista

Monday, November 5, 2012

The aftermath....

Well, I stayed home from work today because I'm shuffling more than walking.  Some pain in my right ankle, and my knees are pretty tight.  The blisters on the bottoms of my feet are re-absorbing and don't hurt nearly as bad today as yesterday.  I need to get a shower and take some Advil for my knees and ankle.  I need the swelling to go down and get the soreness to go away.  I'm going to recover for a couple of days, and then back to CrossFit on Wednesday and a short run on Thursday.  I've got a lot to do before February 24, and now that I know I can do this, the training will be even easier to do.  I think I've found it difficult to train because I was so scared that even after I trained I wouldn't be able to do it, but now I know better.

I need to say a big thank you to CrfossFit APX for helping me through that race yesterday.  I mentioned in my race recap the ladies that I am friends with online, the Running Mom's Mafia.  Well, CrossFit APX is my in person support team.  I have learned so much about my limits, my abilities and what I am really capable of from them.  In the past I've been all too willing to give up and walk away when things got difficult.  The last 3 months at CrossFit APX, pushing through tough workouts and realizing that a lot of my limitations are self-imposed really helped me yesterday.  I was able to tell myself, "You didn't think you could get through those workouts either, but you did it."  I was able to push-on and persevere yesterday because of the mental strength that CrossFit training has started to instill in me.  I really appreciate all of you so much, you will never know.  Thank you for the role you are playing in my journey to find the best me I can be, and the woman God created me to be!

Krista

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Proud doesn't even begin to cover it!

Okay, So here's the recap of how today went.

I got woken up bright and early this morning, like 3:00 old time, by a drunk marine who was running around the hotel on our floor pounding on doors, apparently confused.  His eyes looked wild, and he was looking around a lot.  After the 2nd time he did it, I called the desk and asked them to send security up to deal with it.  He did it a third time and I said, "Dude, stop, wrong room!"

Then, at 4:00 new time my wake up call came in, a full hour early, even though I clarified, "5:00 new time" so I set the alarm on my phone for 5:00 and went back to sleep, then slept through it, and didn't wake up until 5:39.  Jumped into a quick shower, got dressed and ready and headed out to the race.  I got there and checked in, picked up my race number put my race shirt in the car w/Barney.  I stopped at the porta pottie and headed to the start line, which wasn't very well marked AT ALL.  At 3 minutes before the walker start myself and 3 other girls just started walking to the start line since no one had announced we should, and we wanted to be ready to go.  We got race instructions, including "Stay to the right", "Move out of the way for the runners", "Don't turn unless you see a volunteer telling you to".  These made me wonder how well the race was marked and I quickly found out exactly what the issue was.

So they sounded the Starting Air Horn, and we all took off.  I jogged for a while, then started walking, and maintained that for quite a while.  In the first 3 miles you go up and over 2 bridges.  I came up and over the first bridge and when I got to the bottom on the other side, I saw a 1 mile sign, which seemed pretty far, but about 100 yards further down saw a mile 2 sign, and a water stop.  All of the race information indicated water stops every 2 miles, so I thought, "Wow, I'm really moving out." I even asked the folks working at the water stop and they said, "Yep, mile 2".  Looked at my watch, saw 20:22 and thought, "is that even possible?  Two 10 minute miles right out of the gate?!?!  The resounding answer I figured out later on was NO!!!!  As the second bridge comes to an end, the traffic needs to be able to exit to the right, and racers are going straight.  NOT GOOD.  I was so nervous about someone coming speeding along and taking out some runners.  I heard the air horn to start the runners when I was between miles 3 and 4 and knew they were coming.  After mile 3, we hit the cobblestone roads along the water front in Wilmington....not a good thing when you have notoriously bad ankles.  I made it through unscathed and continued on.  I got water at mile 4 and pushed on.  Between miles 4 and 5 The runners caught me.  They were CRUISING!!!  I spent miles 5-9 saying consistent "thank you"s to runners who came by, gave me thumbs up, congratulations, encouragement, way to go's, etc.  I was humbled by the number of them that took the time to encourage me.  None of them HAD to do it, but maybe 50-100 did.  It really did make me very proud.

Now, if you have never run the Battleship half, let me say that Greenfield lake, which you run around, is apparently 4-1/2 miles, but when you're doing it, it feels more like it's big enough to qualify as a great lake.  I also figured out somewhere between miles 7 and 10 that people were weaving back and forth across the road to find shadows because it was so freaking HOT!  I got some sun on my face.  At mile 10 I was feeling really rough, my hamstrings had tightened up pretty bad, I was hot, and thirsty, and contemplating packing it in.  As luck would have it, the water at mile 10 was being handed out by employees of Try Sports.  A very nice guy named Adam asked me how I was doing, and when I told him my Hamstrings were so tight, he showed me how to stretch them out.  He also walked with me for a while since he was on his way to his car.  He told me to keep putting 1 foot in front of the other and I was going to finish.  I was with him on that until about 10.75 miles, when I didn't think I'd do it.  I found a piece of grass, in the shade, and I sat down and stretched.  I called my mom, and she told me how proud she was of me.  I could see the mile 11 sign, but I wasn't quite there.  Then I realized, I could have been the last person on the course, and there was no one to take me in.  So I stretched out, got up, and kept on moving.  I passed mile 11, and I could see the entrance ramp for the last bridge I would have to cross.  At the bottom of the entrance ramp were 2 cops.  I got my mile 12 water, and the 1 officer told me that they were about to open the bridge, and one would be in front of me, and he would be following me.  I told him that was fine, but to keep his gun away from me, because I just might shoot myself.  He said, "no, ma'am, you're doing great!"  I went on up and the DOT workers told me they were taking the cones up and I needed to be careful, because there would be cars in the lane I was walking in.  The officers didn't allow that to happen, but they did remind me that the grates on the bridge would be slick.  Now, what they don't tell you is that the grates have nubbs sticking up, and at mile 12 of a half marathon, with massive blisters on the bottoms of your feet, it feels like you might as well be walking on glass with bare feet.  As I came down the other side of the bridge, I stopped to stretch and the same officer that had told me he was going to follow me put his car in park, and came to talk to me.  He asked if I was ok, and offered assistance, and I told him I was OK, just stretching.  I started moving again, and he ended up in front of me.  This time when I stopped to stretch, he got out of his squad car and brought me a bottle of water.  I kept moving and as I got to the bottom of the bridge/exit ramp, I passed some really smelly road kill.  I felt like the world was spinning around me.  I asked the other officer how much I had left and he said, "About a mile to a mile and a half."  I knew with how I was feeling, if I tried to make it another mile and a half, I would face plant for sure.  So I climbed in the squad car and immediately started crying.  He offered to let me back out, and I declined.  Then he drove me to the end of the race, and sent me to the medical tent.  They got me some ice packs, more water and a banana. Barney caught the river taxi back over to get our car so he could drive over and get me, since I wasn't so sure about riding on the water with my head already spinning.  As I was sitting there, the race director came over to talk to me.  He asked how I was feeling, whether I was OK, etc. Another volunteer asked how I did and I told her I had had to quit.  I told her where, and she said, you made it 12-1/2 miles, we're giving you a medal, we have plenty left over.  At the Princess I didn't feel like I deserved my medal, but by God, only .6 miles from the finish, I wasn't going to argue.  I couldn't be more proud of myself and what I accomplished today.  I wasn't sure if I had really made it 12-1/2 miles, so Barney and I clocked it when we left the race and he was exactly right.  I just sat in the car and cried.  .6 miles, 6 tenths of a freaking mile, and I couldn't finish?!?!  If the cop had told me that, I'd have pushed forward and made it to the end.

 I honestly feel pretty good physically, but the entire balls of my feet are covered in blisters.  I also have some pretty bad chaffing under my left arm and on my left side from my sports bra, and after the 2+ hour ride home, I am pretty sore from the waist down.  My right hip is sore, and my knees hurt a bit.  My ankles hurt a bit too, but in the grand scheme of things I feel good.  Once they got the ice packs on my neck (jugular vein) and my blood and skin started to cool down, I felt good.  We went back to the hotel so I could shower, then headed to IHOP for a meal and home.  My eyes were clearly bigger than my stomach, because all I could handle was 2 scrambled eggs and a chocolate milk.  No meat, no hash browns, no pancakes.  Well, that and 3 glasses of water.

Here is what I know for sure:
1--I can do anything I set my mind to.
2--I do far better with music to listen to.  (Left the ear buds in the hotel room.)
3--I don't NEED anyone to do it with me.  I am capable of encouraging and being my own cheerleader.
4--I have a lot of training left to do before the Princess, which is in just under 4 months.
5--The Running Mom's Mafia is invaluable to me.  They were texting me, facebooking me and messaging me throughout the race.  These women are Ironman finishers, sub-4:00 marathon runners, Cancer survivors, and they took time to encourage me all day.  They are what true friends look like, and though I've not met many of them in person, I know that they have my back when I need them.

Finally, I am a person who has struggled with self-worth and knowing what I was capable of accomplishing my entire life.  I am not someone who has ever been truly proud of myself.  Today, that all changed.  I LOVE that I did this today.  I love that I can say I am truly and genuinely proud of what I did.  My life is full of gratitude today.  Come February 24, I WILL be finishing the Princess Half Marathon.  I WILL be ready to do it in under 3:30, I WILL have another princess medal around my neck in February!

It feels so good to be proud and not defeated.  It's unfamiliar territory, but I really like it.  I also need to send a big shout out to my husband.  Running isn't his thing really, but he was there for me.  He took me to the race at the butt-crack of dawn.  He came back to get me after the race was over.  He was there at the finish line if I had been able to finish.  His pride in me and support of me is unmatched, and I truly appreciate every second of it!  I love you baby!

Krista

Friday, November 2, 2012

Friday's WOD---a bit more progress

Today's WOD was fun, although I have some form break issues that need to be addressed.  We did 3 rounds, for time, 10 back squats, 10 front squats, 10 overhead squats, RX for ladies was 75#, and I did 55#, all 3 rounds.  The most sore part of my body right now is my wrists.  When I do cleans/front squats, I can't get the bar far enough back on my shoulders and get my elbows up high enough to roll the bar back and take the weight and pressure off my wrists.  Then with the overhead squats it's tough to get my hands wide enough apart it is incredibly uncomfortable for my wrists.  I finished my 3 rounds at 9:55 with 55# for all 3 rounds of squats.

Then we did Tabata training, 8 rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 second rest alternating exercises between Burpees, low-jacks and Hand release push-ups.  By the time it was over, I sat down and started heaving.  I almost hurled all over the box floor.  Not good considering  that there is already a mess at the box from there being a plumbing leak.  I thought I was going to toss cookies all over the floor...ugh.

Now for the exciting part.  I'll spare you any pictures as proof of what I'm about to tell you, because then you'd likely toss your cookies all over the computer screen.  as a girl who is "thick" for lack of a better word, I have forgotten that my body used to have curves in the right places, and not just between my rolls.  Well, today, as I looked in the mirror, I noticed that where I used to have a VERY round side/roll, I now have smaller rolls, that go in at my waist.  I also noticed that while my hips are still rounded, they don't stick out as far as they used to.  My body is finding its shape again.  It's time for me to do measurements again, since I did them at the beginning of October, so we'll see how that goes.  I may or may not post them this weekend.

As it stands for now, I'm going to go spend "girl time" with my baby girl and give her all the mommy snuggles I have.  She was the best cheerleader ever tonight, and actually did most of our tabata training with us.  She loves to do burpees, so she's an old pro at those.  When I started struggling she'd say, "Don't stop mommy, keep doing them with your friends."  She's the best little cheerleader any mommy could ever ask for.  I am so very blessed to have her in my life, as well as the other kids.  It is hard for me to comprehend at times, but if we hadn't lost Henry, we wouldn't have Ella.  I never got to know him, but I truly believe she's as sweet as she is, because she got a chance to love her big brother before she got here.