What Are You Thankful For?

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!  Today's the day when we gather with our family and friends to salivate in the kitchen for hours and then eat ourselves into a tryptophan-induced coma while watching too much football and drinking too many cocktails. (What? That's not the norm for you?)

Check it.  I made a turkey.  It's a mini turkey.  But a turkey nonetheless.

While you are spending your time overindulging, I hope that you are also able to take a second to be thankful (after all - that is the reason for the day.  Contrary to popular belief, it's not just the day before Black Friday.). Today, we will eat more food than some people get to see in a month and we are safe and warm in our homes surrounded by loved ones.  There are a lot of things that aren't perfect - but today, instead of complaining, try to embrace the things that are pretty darn good. 

Today, I'm thankful for a lot.  My parents are here to share the holiday with me and help me with things around the house which is much appreciated.  They brought their adorable puppy who makes everything just a little bit better (I mean, really, EVERYTHING is better with a puppy).  The Cowboys are losing (scratch that, the Cowboys won. Damnit.).  I've managed to not burn down my house while cooking Thanksgiving dinner (although it was touch and go for a bit). I have the best friends in the world (you know who you are!) - you keep me sane, you deal with my neurosis and you are just generally the best.  I'm pretty much just thankful to have the life that I have.  No, it's not always perfect (it's actually usually a hot mess) but it is what it is and I'm making the best of it!

So... what are you thankful for? 

A CrossFit Girl's Guide to Surviving the Holidays

Tis the season. For crazy food consumption, lots and lots of drinking, sequins and sparkles, and mistletoe (oh please, let there be mistletoe!). From tomorrow (Thanksgiving) until the second weekend in January, I will eat approximately my body weight in food (and not healthy food) and drink at least that many holiday themed beverages - come'on, red wine is totally holiday themed.  Red?  Duh. 

How is a girl to manage all the food and crazy holiday party business without putting on 10lbs of sugar/bready/non-paleo diet weight?  Good freaking question.  For the next two months, here are my general life goals:

• Make time to workout at least three times a week. 
• Pass on the bread bowl.  I'm definitely not going to skip on all of the next two months of sweets/breads/holiday goodness - that's torture.  But... I can pass on the breadbowl.  
• Social drinking only!  There are enough social events for the next two months that I'm literally running around several days a week.  (Just for clarification sake - 'social' only has to entail one other person. I don't want to set the standard too high.)

In other words - try not to do what I do every other year - gorge on sweets, drink too much, and abstain from athletic activity. (I say this as I am making candied yams.  Pretty much my favorite dish ever with only three ingredients - yams, brown sugar and butter.  Delicious.  And awful for me.  AND... I didn't go to the gym today. Winning!) 

I'm also hosting Thanksgiving this year.  First Thanksgiving in my new house.  My folks are here from MT and they brought their adorable, 8-week old puppy.  She's really so ridiculously cute and is having a blast jumping all over my dogs head.  If anyone wants to join the chaos - we'll have plenty of food (and I've got enough booze to survive the zombie apocalypse) and I can bribe you with an adorable puppy to play with. 

See?  Who can say no to this face?!

Moving Forward

I wasn't sure how much about this I wanted to say - but yesterday was a weird day.  One of the weirdest that I've ever had.  It wasn't bad.  It wasn't good.  It was just weird.  Yesterday, I walked out the door of the company that I've been at for six years - and I'm not going back.  

No. I don't have a new job.  No. I don't know what I'm doing next. I am simultaneously excited and terrified. I haven't been happy where I'm at and have needed to look for a new job for a long time.  It's time.  Taking those steps out the door yesterday was the most relieving and the most terrifying thing that I have done in almost two years.  (And to clarify, even though it would have been totally badass - I didn't just walk out - I've spent the last week wrapping things up and leaving notes for everyone still there.  Like a responsible and professional adult.)

What now?  I don't know exactly.  It's the holidays so it will be nice to have a little bit of time off.  Financially, I'll be just fine for a while (as long as I stay far, far away from Lululemon and Nordies).  I'm excited to be able to take the time to look for something that I'll love.  I know that these things don't happen overnight, but I've got some really great people guiding me where they can and I have no doubt with a little time that I'll find something great.  (Do I sound confident?  Because I'm really trying.)

So.  Wish me luck.  Life is too short to be at a job that is sucking the life out of you. 

 Inspirational quote for the day:

In other news.  I have been cleared by my chiropractor and PT to compete in the Toys for Tots Throwdown next weekend.  Yay!  My back is doing much better and as long as I hold on to the pull up bar - I should be fine.  I probably won't PR my deadlift - but we'll see.  And my folks will be there to to see their first CrossFit competition - I'll probably have to keep my swearing to a minimum - although burpees usually make me sprew the F-word.  

Til next time, y'all. 

Pride Goeth...

Okay... we all know the proverb "pride goeth before a fall".  Well.  I am here to be the walking, limping example of that.  

Last week, I fell and fell HARD off of a pull-up bar doing kipping pull-ups during a warm-up.  The warm-up people, the WARM-UP.  I can't even claim that I was in the throes of a hard workout - nope.  I was just making sure that I had my kip down.  Turns out - I didn't.  

Pride wasn't really my whole issue - although it was definitely a part of it.  My biggest problem was lack of focus. I figured that I knew what I was doing enough to not need to give it my full focus.  As I was staring up at the ceiling from the flat of my back - I realized that I should have been giving 100%.  Instead of thinking about what I was doing - I was three steps ahead instead of being in the here and now.  

I am currently paying for my lack of focus.  I slipped off the pull-up bar on while kipping and landed right on my back.  According to my chiropractor and PT, I've got a deep bruise, some sprained ligaments and jarred my hip pretty darn hard.  Sitting, laying down, standing - it's all some level of uncomfortable.  But... it is getting better.  I'm optimistic that in a few days, it will be fine (keep your fingers crossed for me anyways because this walking like an old person is just not cutting it!).  

An additional downside of maiming myself?  I missed the Mustache Dache.  I went and cheered the team on but I was obviously not running it (my chiropractor actually told me that I wasn't even allowed to think about it).  But here's a picture of the amazing team from Sound CrossFit:

Great job Team Snatch 'n Dache!!!! Next year, I am totally running this with you guys!

The Selfie

Okay guys, it's time that we address a super pressing matter:  the selfie.  For some reason, this phenomenon is sweeping the social media world and it is probably my biggest pet peeve.  For those of you who aren't familiar with what a selfie is (Mom...) - here is the definition according to Wikipedia:

A selfie is a type of self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. In August 2013, the term selfie also made its debut in Oxford Dictionaries Online's quarterly update where it is defined as "a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website."

Really?  This term 'selfie' is now in the Oxford dictionary?  I'm embarrassed for my generation.  

Okay.  Back to the point at hand.  There is a time and place for a selfie - and I will not try to imply that I am above taking one.  Here are a few examples of what I consider to be appropriate selfies: 

The 'I'm pretty sure this costume makes me look like I have ginormous love handles - please confirm' selfie

The 'I'm way too excited to be going to Whistler to run in the mud! selfie
(note: only sent to other super excited to run in the mud)

The 'Sitting on the floor of our new house for the first time' selfie

The 'Making fun of Miley Cyrus's tongue' selfie

The 'I managed to fix my own hair AND do my own makeup - I'm good to go' selfie
(I actually sent this to my pet sitter to show to my dog so she didn't forget what I looked like.)

Please note that in all of these selfies - I am fully clothed and also fully aware that I look like a MORON.  I think it's okay to do selfies as long as you are aware that you look idiotic.  I really wanted to post terrible selfies of other people - but something about that just felt wrong - so let's just chat about the terrible types of selfies that there are: 

• The Car Selfie:  I have at least one, probably more like five, friends on Facebook who are CONSTANTLY posting pictures of themselves in their cars.  'Look how pretty I am driving to work!'.  'Look how pretty I am driving home from work!'  'Look how pretty I am driving to the grocery store!'  Stop.  Just stop. (The one car selfie exception?  One picture after you leave the hair salon showing off your fabulous new color.  That is it.)
• The Gym Selfie:  If you are at the gym to work out - WORK OUT.  Stop taking pictures of your abs in the mirror.  'Oh excuse me... just a minute, quick break from my workout to look sexy and take a picture'.  I hate you.
• The Bathroom Mirror Selfie:  Nothing is sexier than a photo of you with a toilet in the background.  
• The Flexing in the Mirror Selfie:  No.  NO.  NO.  

For the love of all things holy - please stop with the pointless selfies.  I don't care what you look like while getting ready for work, or while working out, or while driving your car.  Actually... no one cares.  I am much more interested in seeing pictures of you doing something interesting - selfie while on an awesome hike?  Hell yeah.  Way better than the 'look at me in my undies' selfie that seems to be sweeping the nation. 

CrossFit Truths

Lately, I've had several people look at me like I'm nuts when I say that I do CrossFit.  Here are a list of the general 'are you crazy?!' statements that come along with the looks AND my rebuttals: 

"What are you?  Like really strong? "

No.  I am not 'really strong'.  But I am strong.  And I have worked my butt off to get there.  I didn't walk in to the gym on my first day strong.  Yes, some of strength can be contributed to your body build and athleticism - but I've worked hard to increase my one rep maxes and to get 'strong'.  

"Isn't that super expensive?"

 Well.  CrossFit isn't cheap.  I will be the first to admit that.  BUT... here is a list of other things that aren't cheap: yoga, pilates, kickboxing, designer handbags, dinners at Canlis, Lululemon, massages, wine clubs, Louboutins, and trips to Bali.  (Okay, obviously, this isn't an extensive list.)  

I have no idea where this came from - but it was posted on the gym's Facebook page and I love it.  So true.  That being said, don't try to come between me and my fancy handbags. 

"Aren't you afraid you are going to get bulky?"

 Do I look bulky?? (Think before you answer that.)  

Side note: I put on a pair of my super stretchy skinny jeans (some may call them jeggings - but I refuse) this weekend and I looked like the hulk.  My quads have gotten extremely strong looking (but only in one pair of pants).  Yay?

 "Ew.  Don't you sweat a lot?"

Ummm...  Yes.  There is a lot of sweat.  Gross stinky sweat.  In my opinion, a little sweat never hurt anybody.  The benefits of sweat seriously out weigh the downsides (downsides being stinky, damp, hmmm... is there more?? Probably.)  What cracks me up most about this is I've actually had someone ask me this who swears by hot yoga.  

 "Isn't CrossFit like a total cult?"

Yes.  And I drank the kool-aid.  

NO!  We are not like a cult.  Just like being a sorority is not a cult either. Cults are scary things that usually result in a mass murder/suicide (and no, I totally didn't watch a three-hour documentary on cults one time - I'm WAY cooler than that). Okay... if CrossFit IS a cult - it's the kind of cult I want to be involved in: promoting healthy living with a great community of people who support each other?  Sold.  

Side note: Thank you to Jonestown for giving us the ever relevant reference of 'drank the kool-aid'.  Cyanide laced beverages?  Where do I sign up?

"Isn't CrossFit a guy thing?"

No response.  Just no response. 

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Remember how I said that writing that I was excited about a new guy was probably going to be the kiss of death? Well.  Apparently it was.  Effffffffffffff.... 

This one was all on me though.  (Okay.  It was a little bit on him too.)  But mostly it was just me not feeling it.  So I decided to end it instead of leading him on and ultimately hurting him worse - that's the right thing to do, right??  Well.  It doesn't feel like it.  I still feel like I hurt the guy and that makes me feel terrible. 

So what now, you ask?  Well.  I think I need to take a break from the online dating.  I am officially stressed to the max between work and coaching and life in general.  I think I have probably used my lifetime capacity for stress management and now I can just barely muster the energy to deal with one stressful thing at a time.  I haven't worked out in a week, I wake up exhausted every morning, and I literally slept almost all day yesterday (in all fairness, my power was out - bed was the only place I could stay warm). A friend told me yesterday that I sounded 'angry' - well, I'm not necessarily 'angry' - but I'm not happy either.  I'm ready to be done with the fall.  Fall is the hardest time of the year for me - it's honestly one of the last times that I remember being truly happy. From now until January - pretty much everything is a memory and that's tough to deal with.  So... from now until January - I'm working on me.  I'm done with dating for now - if someone comes along who is fantastic, that's great.  But... three months of 'me' time, is very much needed.  I am just trying to get settled into my house and spend time with my dog.  These things make me happy and right now - I'm desperately in need of doing things that make me happy.

So... what is included in 'work on me' time?  I dunno.  Maybe I'll finally pick a new color for my ground floor bathroom (sky blue doesn't do it for me).  Maybe I'll organize my garage (I have to before Thanksgiving - my dad will have a heart attack if he sees the piles of CRAP that have grown in my garage).  I'm definitely going to start going to the gym more - two days a week just isn't cutting it.  Maybe I'll actually make a recipe out of the paleo cookbooks that I have picked up (heaven forbid!).  I'm going to have the girls over for a sweatpants, wine and gossip night.  I'm going to go see the monster (my bestie's two year old).  I'm going to train my dog. I'm going to plan a vacation.