No Resolutions

I am not a resolution maker.  I have enough daily challenges that keep me on my toes!  I am, however, learning how to set real goals.  This is difficult for me.

Setting goals requires thought about how you will go about achieving your goals.  What exact steps, and in what order, do I need to take to reach this goal? How will I deal with possible set backs?  What is the time frame to reach this goal?  Do I need others to help me?  The list can go on!

I am learning how to do this.  To make my goals real - not just something I wish would happen.  I am finding this to be a real challenge.

Like you have heard before, and I truly believe this, is that nothing worth while comes easy.

Becoming a better parent takes me looking in depth at how I respond and react to my children.  What type of example do I set for them?  How do I handle myself when dealing with nasty people?  For me to be the wife I want to be for my husband I must the very aware of how I interact with him.  Do I treat him with the same respect I want?  Do I support and uplift him as I want him to support me?

Same is true at work.  For me to be the coach I want to be for my athletes, I must learn from my coach.  I must continue to educate myself.  I must practice what I preach to my athletes.  Do I fuel my body as I suggest they do?  Do I put the same effort in to my WOD's as I expect them to?  Do I listen to my coach as closely as I expect them to listen to me?

Setting a goal can be hard.  It makes your wish real.  It requires work, effort, sacrifice, possibly asking for help.  Have the courage to make your wishes come true!

Christmas, Family, Food and Fun

Thanksgiving gluttony has passed.

And it will never be spoken of again.

Today Danny and I started a 10 day cleanse.  I don't want to lose total focus and end up at the end of the year feeling run down due to poor planning and letting my desire for better health slide to the back burner.

I know there are parties coming up - some will be with like minded CFC  folks and others will be with those who do not share my mindset.   I will be the constant in all situations.  I will be responsible for how I choose to participate in the merriment.

Really- it's only as difficult as you make it.

Now, for a Paleo Service Announcement:

 

CrossFit Coaches Prep Seminar

Two weekends ago Nicole Stahl and I were fortunate enough to attend a CrossFit Head Quarters (CFHQ) Coaches Prep certification at Alamo CrossFit in San Antonio.

It was more than I expected it to be!

First, there were only 23 coaches and box owners there along with 3 CFHQ staff members - Jason Khalipa, Adrian Bozman and Nadia Shatila.  What an amazing group - coaches and staff!

The staff was beyond what I could have hoped for.  It was so clear that the only purpose they had was to provide us with the tools to be the best coach we could possibly be.  The information, corrections and critiques they gave was all for one purpose - to help us help our athletes.

Can you tell I liked it???

It was a little uncomfortable to be out of my comfort zone- CFC, my athletes, our coaches- but that soon passed.  The second day I relaxed and felt like my true coaching style was able to come out, and therefore things that I need to improve upon could also come out.  This was the place to make mistakes.  Make mistakes and then learn how to do and say things better, more accurate, simpler.  Turns out I'm too nice and talk too much.  Hear that Cereal Killers?  Time for me to get less nice!

I came away from the certification feeling better equipped to lead my athletes down their road to improved health and fitness. I now have a deeper understanding of how CrossFit and my coaching, together with hard work from my athletes, will bring about your ultimate fitness!

3...2...1...GO!

Moving Heavy Things

Busy week!  I feel like I could excel as a furniture mover.  In the process of getting our house ready to show we moved lots of furniture out and into storage.  Four truck loads of stuff!  Why do we need so much stuff?  Really?

Anyway - I think it is cool being strong enough to do this!  Today I noticed in my WOD that I had no steam left.  I did PR on my bench press - woo hoo!, but then Jerks about did me in.  As the shirt says, I love Jerks!  Today they were just hard.  Eh, that is life.   When one area is wearing you out, you are going to see it affect other areas as well.

I have been crazy sleepy.  This is a problem in general but with each day filled to the brim with things to move, pack, buy, return, houses to look at, etc., etc., etc., it really sucks.  I don't have to look very far to see one area where I have let things slide - nutrition.  It has not been horrible, but it has not been on par, either.  Irregular eating patterns.  Not enough water.  Too much eating out - even when I do make good choices it is not the same as preparing food at home where you know exactly what the ingredients are.  I am convinced that Pappasito's puts sugar on their fajita beef.  Jimmy Johns UnWhich is a good choice if eating out, but what all is in their cold cuts?  You get the point.

So, as of today the house is officially ready for showings.  The massive get ready is complete.  Football practice is over.  Hunting season is in full swing.  Life can now return to some sense of normalcy.

Speaking of hunting season - we are out of meat!  I failed to check that the freezer door was sealed shut.  It wasn't.  We had to throw everything, including the freezer, away.  So, hopefully Danny will get an Axis and we can start eating right again!  Do you think the processor will have a speed option?!

Deep breath in............and out..........

Change!

Wow!  Lots of stuff changing here this week!

Danny and I have lived in our current house for 7 years.  We don't like it.  It just does not work for our family.  We have changed a lot of things about this house - new floors, new patio, new furniture, new paint colors, new uses for rooms, etc., etc.  But, still just not the house for us.  So, the sign is in the front yard.  The massive purge of stuff is under way.  Paint is being touched up.  The wall of family pictures by the front door is now blank - very sad.  The new towels are on the towel rods and NOT TO BE TOUCHED!!! The typical "get ready to have strangers come in our home and fall in love with it" is happening here in the Roberts household.

And on the flip side is the search for the right house for our family.  This time we are looking for more breathing room outside instead of inside.  Smaller house, bigger land!  Easier said than done, but it will work out the way it is supposed to.  I have faith that it will.

I got and giant haircut.  Big change.  Actually, I got it cut last Thursday and then again today.  I like it this time.  The sweet little momma-to-be that cuts my hair is so good to me!  She deals with my complaints so well and I am always happy with the end result!  Thanks, Amy!

Changes happening at work as well.  There have been some staff changes at CFC.  It is hard to see good coaches go.  But, again, I have faith that things work out the way they are supposed to.

Through all the changes either initiated by you or delivered to you, remember to:

Did you mess up?

Success does not come without failure.

Mistakes will happen, sometimes more frequently than at other times.  The key is getting past it.  Take a few notes, get up and move on.  You are smarter now - learn the lesson and just keep trying.

BONES!

There is a bone disease that runs on my mother's side of the family -  Osteogenesis Imperfecta

I have it and Jenna has it.  My mom had it, her dad had it, two of her brothers have it, some of my cousins and their children have it.  Thankfully, Jenna and I have very mild complications compared to so many others.

I have talked about this in the past but when I was 30 I had my first bone density screening and the results showed osteoporosis.  I had another screening done when I was 35, this test showed further weakening of my bones.  This was also after I had my two kids, I have no clue if that affected things or not.

A few weeks ago I had another screening.  Results this time made me cry - with JOY!  Normal bone density for my age/sex/etc/etc.  Really - I don't know that I can adequately explain to you how important this news is to me.

I truly believe that the past three years of CrossFit training and changing my nutrition habits made this happen.  The weight lifting, jumping, pushing, pulling, squatting, pounding, lunging, throwing, running, rowing, you name the CF move has made me stronger and has turned the tide on my advanced bone loss!  My bones are probably stronger than they have ever been!  Yes, I still break things - but when you drop a dumbbell on your fingertip, it's probably going to do some damage no matter who you are.  I'm still a bit of a klutz!  BUT, that's not the point - the point is that I am doing what it takes to ensure that I can be as healthy as I can for as long as I can!

It takes hard work, sore muscles, cursing the much younger/stronger-than-me man that does the programming at CFC , sweating, crying, laughing, you name it!  But this stuff really works!

Add to this type of true exercise a way of fueling my body better than I ever have.  Really - better than I ever knew I could or even should.  Learning and living the benefits of clean nutrition is still a work in progress for me.  I'm not perfect.  I am a work in progress - but true progress is being made.

I have learned and told others that even if you can't see improvements, when you give your body proper, clean nutrition you will begin to get better on a cellular level.  IT'S TRUE!!!!  I am proof to myself that it is 100% true.

Another very cool thing - Shane convinced Jenna to try the CrossFit Kids class at CFC  and she loved it!  Coach Matt Regitz does such a great job with the kids!  If I can keep my kids active, in a CrossFit kind of way, I know they will forever be better for it.  Jenna has more at stake - I hope this is something she becomes passionate about and will soon understand just how important it is for her to stay active.  Shane is all in!  He counted the days until he was old enough to be in the kids program!  I will do all that I can as their mom to be the inspiration and be the 'Do As I Do' type of parent.

How cool will it be when they are stronger than me?!?!

OK, I am losing focus.  So - just know that I was a mess before I found CrossFit and now I am strong!  I love being strong!