The Whole 30 Challenge

Happy Almost NEW YEAR to you all! 2012 was a challenging year for some, myself included, and I can whole heartedly say I am excited to start 2013 off with a BANG! I am always talking to all my clients, friends and family about eating healthy and what that means. Most of you listen, some of you block me out and others ignore me completely. Either way I still am very passionate about food and it being the most powerful thing we consume. Megan brought it to my attention that she is starting the Whole 30 program at the first of the year. This is a program I have read about a year ago, and was lucky enough to meet the creator, Melissa and her husband Dallas at a CrossFit function. We share a similar story in that we BOTH used to be addicts turned health nuts. Her book, It Starts With Food, is on the New York Times best seller list and is chalk full of food facts that will change your life. Anyway, Megan told me she was going to start this program and I thought...HEY! I'll do it WITH you so your not alone in this. That quickly morphed into....Ill bring this to ALL my clients and see who wants to start the new year with a food cleanse. So far we have Megan, myself, Corinne, Cari who are in! check out www.whole9life.com order It Starts With Food book from Amazon.... I will be talking with each of you as I see you for training about this to see who is in. I will post on here from time to time regarding the Whole 30 as well. say GOOD BYE to the shitty sugar foods....and HELLO to feeling better, looking better and performing better!!!

A couple Weeks ago we all came together within the amazing community that is CrossFit, in support for Kelvin Nivens. He is one of the original CrossFitters and simply one of the kindest humans I have the pleasure of knowing. Kelvin recently was diagnosed with Lymphoma cancer and is fighting with all he has to get well. The local gyms came together at Central for a fund raiser in support of Kelvin, all proceeds went directly to HIM for hospital bills, treatment costs, etc. When I mentioned the fund raiser to all of you I was so impressed with how you all were so eager to help - even without never meeting Kelvin. Your willingness to support was very touching and made me VERY PROUD of all of you. I was the ONLY coach who had so many clients come to enjoy the day and gave of your money and time for somebody you didnt even know. I have said this many times but I am saying it again......I have the BEST clients and athletes EVER! So, thank you thank you THANK YOU for your support. Kelvin appreciates it immensely!!!

Its been a while since I updated our blog. I apologize for that guys! However.....you ALL have been killing it in CrossFit! Hitting HUGE Prs, and changing the way you eat. Its been a great month.

WOW! Times sure have changed!!! I read this in a magazine recently. This was taught to Home Economics girls during the early 50s. Just makes me crack up!!! What the hell!! Women are the ones (most often) at home dealing with small children, diapers, fighting and arguing, no adult conversations, grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, lack of self, being a taxi for the kids, you name it. Women are the back bone of the family unit. I have to admit, when I was married I did a lot on this list. Only because I thought, for some odd reason, I was supposed to. I agree with some of the items....like de cluttering and cleaning yourself up. Even having dinner ready - sometimes. But what happens if both partners work outside of the home? Id LOVE to hear your thoughts on this. What do you do in your home to have your family run smoothly and happily? * Ill post pics and PRs soon....... Instructions for Housewives ~~~As taught to the girls attending high school during the Leave it to Beaver era~~~~ 1. Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal on the table -- on time. This is a way of letting your husband know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. 2. Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when your husband arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair, and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift. 3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up schoolbooks, toys, paper, ect. Then run a dustcloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. 4. Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces. If they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures, and he would like to see them playing their part. 5. Minimize the noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. 6. Some don'ts. Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through during the day. 7. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedrom. Have or cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing, and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind. 8. Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. 9. Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his need to be home and relax. 10. The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can feel refreshed.

Winning!!!!

We had so many awesome things happen for us the past couple weeks. Here's a recap: Marian Crockett ran the Boston Marathon in the sweltering heat of 90 degrees! She finished in 3:38 and most importantly, she beat her local rival by more than 14 minutes!!! Way to go Marian!!! We all know how hard it is to run that distance LET ALONE in the heat and humidity!! We are all very proud of you!!! Mary and Matt Ryan welcomed sweet baby Maggie on April the 13th. Momma and baby are doing fine and Daddy is smiling ear to ear. The crazy thing is Mary was training CrossFit at 5am Thursday and did a tough long workout with zero problem. Little did we know that by Friday early afternoon her labor would start and by the end of the day she would be holding her CrossFit baby!!! I can't WAIT to meet her!!! Less important than the two I completed a 13 mile trail run that kicked my ASS last year! I not only finished the whole course, but felt great the whole way!! Yay CrossFit and trail running friends!! Here's a look at the PRs that you have been hitting......now get out there and RUN or enjoy the day!!! Carlos PRd in a full clean lifting 185x2 reps, 165x12 reps He also PRd in a front squat getting 215 x 3 reps easily!! Michele PRd in a full clean lifting 85x3, 90x1, 63x12 reps She also Prd in a front squat getting 93x3 reps fairly easy too :) Bo Prd in his split jerk getting 150x1 rep, and 125x3 reps!! then turned around and got a bench press Pr 150x 5 reps!! He also had a amazing training week last week and I was throwing hard wods at him!! Way to go Bo!! Teresa Prd in her front squat getting 100x3 and then got a pr in her sumo deadlift 115x12 reps Tiffany got a pr in her front squat as well getting 100x3, and her sumo deadlift was 113x12 reps!! Teresa also got a PR in her shoulder press 3 rep at 70x3 We've been focusing on endurance workouts lately and they seem to have been paying off. I can throw a long workout at you all and you can just keep on going!!! This next cycle of training we will be hitting some strength and some testing. Getting max reps for body weight movements, as well as some timed events. I KNOW you all are excited about that and can't wait to see whats waiting for you when you walk through the gym doors. RACE UPDATES!!!! I have a few races that I would like to get a head count on if you are in. Saturday, May 12th is the CHICK CHASER 5k race. A LOT of fun and couples can enter!!The race starts at 3pm followed by a huge party in the park. May 20th Surfers Path Half Marathon, 10k, 5k RACE!!! This is the first year for this event and I think we ALL should go for it and support the host.

What did YOU do over the weekend???

I know you all work very hard in the gym during the week....and I know what MOST of you do during the weekend : it involves 2 wheels and running shoes. But if you aren't running in Nisene Marks, or barreling downhill on your mountain bike or riding like the wind on your road bike....what do you like to do?

Here's a great photo of Bo Janowski. He spends some weekend doing Search and Rescue Training. When somebody is lost out there, Bo is one of the great group of people that look high and low until you are found. This is a great pic of how muddy his training can get! Thanks for doing what you do to help others Bo....!!!

Some of you races the Santa Cruz Half Marathon on Sunday. Post to comments how you did!!

Also...I LAGGED at giving major kudos to Cari Martin!!! She finished a 50k recently in the crazy fast time of 5 hours plus some change!! I have NO idea how the heck you did that sooo fast! Must be CrossFit ;) I will post pictures of your races as son as you pass them to me.

I'm so blessed to have such an amazing group of people that push their limits every time they train and are just great people . Thank you all for making my life so full.

Women In Pink on a Sunday.....

After all the rain we ended up having an absolutely beautiful day for the run. The weather was perfect - not a drop of rain - and the energy was so much fun! Thank you to all who were able to show up and run for fun and for dressing up in all your pink. Most ran for fun, or walked while supporting each other - I ran with most of you just having a blast the whole way. Breakfast after wards was a lot of fun and much laughs were had by all. I really appreciate all of you joining in on my idea to start doing races together as a team. The next race I will post shortly and see who is in. There is a mud run that everybody can do,....boys too....in May, and some trail runs as well as bike/ run races. We all have a great time exercising out of the gym so doing it together instead of solo makes it even MORE fun!!

I am very proud of all of you today. Teresa and Megan prd on their 10k time. Gia ran her first 10k and never walked once! Tiffany kept running even with a bum knee....Lisa ran the whole 10k with a bum ankle (she hasn't even been able to put pressure on it for a week) and my lovely Sarah ran her first 5k. Oh, let's not forget Mary who walked the whole thing with little baby girl snug inside her belly.

I love all you guys and couldn't have asked for a more rich day with friends training and laughing hard!!

On to the next one.......

RACE DAY THIS SUNDAY THE 25TH!!!

*** Who wants to meet up at Fleet Feet this Saturday in Aptos to get our packets then head to lunch together??? What about 12:00????? I will also text everybody for a head count. Any suggestions for a restaurant??? Read the below for instructions for race day. If you cannot do packet pickup Saturday please show up EARLY Sunday to do so. Also lets all meet Sunday BEFORE THE RACE at 7:30 am for photos and cheering eachother on. Remember its The Pinkest Race. That means come decked out in crazy pink wear!! The more the better!!


Talk to you soon for another update as race day approaches.


Packet Pick Up:
Saturday, March 24th 9am-1pm

Join us at Fleet Feet of Aptos on Saturday March 24th for packet pick up between 9am-1pm ( coffee and water will be available because these items make us happier people.) This is where you will get your bib number and goodie bag- your race shirt will be waiting for you after the race { they are awesome shirts!} If a friend is picking up your packet for you, you must have them email us your permission (Melissa@runsheisbeautiful.com.)

If you can't make it on Saturday morning, there will be packet pick up available on the morning of the race between 6:30am-7:30am on Cowell's Beach.
warning: there may be a line of women on race morning!


Race Morning
We suggest arriving to Cowell's Beach ( on the beach in front of the Dream Inn) between 7am-7:45. Please allow time for parking and getting here on time so you don't feel rushed ( c'mon no one enjoys the feeling of being rushed ever, but especially on a Sunday morning!)
We will have coffee, water and port potties waiting for you!

Race Start Times
The 10k starts at 8am. We ask that participants make their way up from Cowell's Beach to the starting line by 7:45am( see "Race Location" at the top right hand column of this letter for start line details.)

The 5k starts at 8:15am. Please make your way to the start line by 8am.

E mail information

Sharibaby2@netzero.com. E mail me with your nutrition questions or running/training questions.

More Records!!!!

This past week held a lot of strength records for you guys. You all continue to amaze me with how hard you push for yourselves and for ME --- as I try to encourage you through it all. So..here's what this week held:

Jen did a 12 rep dead lift at 140#
Buck did a 12 rep dead lift at 170#
Erron got 160 x 5 rep bench press
Lee got 170 x 5 rep bench press
Lee got 204# back squat x 4 reps
Lisa got 113# x 4 rep back squat
Erron got 185# x 4 reps back squat

Megan got 120 # box squat for 5 reps
Teresa got 105# box squats for 5 reps
Tiffany also got 105# box squat for 5 reps

Jeff got 185# dead lift for 5 reps
Stephanie did a 12 rep dead lift at 95#

Bo did a 1 rep shoulder press at 120#!!!
and then also got 300# 1 rep dead lift!! (he's been wanting to pull 300 off the ground for a while!)

Cari did 135# x 5 reps dead lift


Carlos lifted 220# box squat for 5 reps!!!
Michelle lifted 85# box squat for 5 reps!!
Carlos lifted 265# for 12 rep dead lift
Michelle lifted 93# for 12 rep dea lift

They also hit a hard workout and Michele lifted 63# for a hang power clean!! woo hoo!

Matt did a 5 rep box squat at 180#
Mary l lifted 80# for 5 rep box squat.

Matt also did that hard workout with 125# for a hang power clean. Heavier than the time before!! WOO HOO!!

Corinne did a 5 rep shoulder press at 56# and a 3 rep shoulder press at 58# HUGE records!!

5 Min Intervals x 5 rounds!!!

That was the plan for most of my athletes as last week ended. Wednesday some of you did Tabata workouts whic is 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off x 8 rounds. Friday we hit the longer intervals of 5 minutes on, 1 minute off for 5 rounds. Thats 25 minutes of hard effort!!! You all did amazing and here are some shots from the tough workout.


Here's how it went:

5 min on 1 min off:

400 meter run,
10 sumo dead lift high pull
10 lateral jumps
amrap remainder time.

rest

400 run
10 calorie row
5 burpees
amrap

rest

400 run
5 clean and jerks
10 pullups
amrap

rest

400 run
10 box jump
10 wall ball
rest

400 run
10 ab ball throw
5 pushups

FIN

Interval and Strength Week!!

Lots of catching up to do! Last week and this week there were LOTS of records broken, benchmark WODs attacked, and intense intervals sweated through. Some of you puked (sorry) but most of you pushed through the tough workouts and came out the other side feeling amazing! THATs what it is ALL about! Finding our strengths , recognizing our weaknesses and going after them so we grow and become better athletes AND humans. In life we should embrace that which scares us thus taking away it's power over our psyche ---- CrossFit should be approached the very same way. Knowing we are going to do an exercise that maybe we aren't so efficient at or a hard workout that get's our palms sweating even before the timer starts....that can be scarey and make us hesitant to dive in. BUT WE ALL DO IT ANY WAY! Don't we? We cheer for one another during the pain, the throwing of the weights and during our achievements. That's what I LOVE about CrossFit. About all of you. About MY LIFE!

I remember watching my women get their first rope climbs. Every one of them were nervous to be up so high. Scared that maybe, just maybe their strength wouldn't hold them on a rope that is moving around. "what if I FALL" would echo in their brains. But even with all that inner turmoil (I can read minds btw....I see what your thinking writen all over your faces) THEY APPROACH THE ROPE, CHALK UP THEIR HANDS, GRAB HOLD AND LITTLE BY LITTLE TRUST THEIR STRENGTH TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!! And lo and behold they get their rope climb. There I am looking up at one fucking strong ass woman who just conquered a task they told themselves they would NEVER be able to do because years ago in gym class they couldn't. Again --- need I remind you that I LOVE MY LIFE??!!

Read the above statement in bold one more time. Now transfer that to your life. To sticky situations that you may face. To something that seems soo HUGE there's NO FRIGGIN way you can climb it. I am here to remind you...YES!! YOU CAN!!!

(you can also substitute rope climb for anything. Pullup, box jump, deadlift, back squat, ANY THING THAT SCARES YOU THAT YOU HAVE DONE!! It fits and it means the same :)

Now get out there. Lace up your shoes. Chalk up your hands. Go inside yourself and see what you can do TODAY. Give it your all and trust in the process....or the workout...or ME. I KNOW you are going to do something incredible!!! I HAVE PROOF EVERY SINGLE DAY!!



Here's the weeks bad ass records and photos....

Carlos deadlifted 310# for 3 reps
Michelle dead lifted 115# for 3 reps
Carlos bench pressed 215 for 5 reps
Michele benched 65# for 5 reps
Michele also got her first KIPPING pullup!!!
The pair attacked FRAN for the first time ... Carlos did it in 4:14, Michele in 11:29!!!
Michelle clean and jerked 79# for 1 rep
Carlos clean and jerked 137 for 1 rep....


Jeff deadlifted 225# for 3 reps and had more to lift for next time :)
Stephanie dead lifted 125 for 3 reps.

Megan push pressed 108# for 1 rep
Teresa push pressed 93# for 1 rep
Megan deadlifted 170 # for 3 reps
Teresa dead lifted 143 for 3 reps
Gia dead lifted 133 for 3 reps

They all hit a HARD wod too and the pic of Gia proves it!

Erron got a dead stop muscle up! and then did a 1 rep clean at 165!
Lee hit a PR for the filty 50 at 23:07

Matt bench pressed 155 for 5 reps!!
Mary Ryan shoulder pressed 65 # for 5 reps (being very pregnate she prs!!)
Matt dead lifted 315 for 3 reps!!

Corinne bench pressed 62 for 5 reps!
and Push pressed 83# for 1 rep
Corinne jerked 88 for 1 rep
and deadlifted 125 for 1 rep!!!

Bo box squated 205 for 3 reps
Jerked 145 for 1 rep
power cleaned 145 for 1 rep
dead lifted 250 for 3 reps (with more in the tank)
and Box Squatted 185 for 5 reps




Cari is doing a 50 k race this weekend so send her your positive energy and protection on the trails. She's amazing and will no doubt murder that course!!!

Much love to you all my incredible peeps! See ya manana!!! fun times in the gym await us all....

I wonder what I can achieve tomorrow????

Coaches Corner...

Saturday was the first race in the series for me of the Troy's California Trail Challenges. I opted to do the Sandborn Trail in Saratoga as the first for me....a 9 mile out and back course with the first 4.5 miles being steep uphill and technical terrain. Carl Borg has been coaching me for the past couple months and had me doing a lot of hill repeats, mile hill time trials on the treadmill, etc. I also had the pleasure of running with Marian and Cari a few times in Nisene which I am positive helped me a ton for the race. Anyway race morning I was feeling pretty good even eagar to get going since Carl had me do nothing since Tuesday! Really 5 days of hardly nothing! That was driving me crazy to say the least! Wednesday he scheduled me to do a CrossFit workout, and tabata treadmill (20 sec on, 10 sec off x 8 rounds on the highest hill the treadmill could go and at a 8.5 mph speed.) thursday I was to do nothing but stretch. Friday I hit the tabata treadmill again, but at 7.5 mph same hill grade. Saturday morning my legs felt rested and ready to RUN!!!

The race started with a steep uphill winding into the mountain and up up up we went! It wasn't fast at ALL, but I ran the whole way!! (thanks Cari and Marian) and managed to hold my position of 3rd person. I never had anybody pass me and actually when the hill grade leveled off a little I would take off and enjoyed the quick pace of movement until the climbing started again. At the turn around point I realized I was actually doing pretty well since I was on my way back and nobody was near me ....so off I went! This was the fun part right?....going fast as you can , almost out of control working your way down the mountain. So much fun! I actually was giggling outloud.

Anyway, I crossed the finish line FIRST PLACE!!! not bad huh? I wanted to make everybody happy and most of all I wanted to keep moving and not walk up the hills at all...which I did. Even if I wasn't fast I kept advancing.

Next race is Santa Teresa Park 13 mile trail run in April.....can't wait!!

This Weeks Records...

Saturday Carlos and Michelle hit the workout HARD and got some PRs s well!

3 cleans on the minute for 5 minutes at 75%
2 cleans on the minute for 5 minutes at 85%
1 clean on the minute for 5 minutes at 90%

Carlos got to 203#!!!
Michelle got to 88#!!! nicely done guys!

Monday started at 5 am with Buck and Jen training at Maxim in Scotts Valley. Jen hit a PR on her bench press 5 rep for 107# and Buck lifted heavier for a 5 rep than he did since his shoulder surgery, which is awesome! 125# for 5 reps !!

Erron hit a PR in his 1 rep max jerk at 180#
Lisa hit a PR in her 1 rep max jerk at 100#
Teresa also had a great day hitting a PR in her bench press 5 rep at 90# and 94# for 4 reps!!


Tuesday started off right at 5am AGAIN with some PRs:

Matt did a 5 rep bench press at 155# his old was 145!!
Mary did a 5 rep shoulder press PR at 65#
Kathy did a 5 rep box squat at 90# (her old was 80)


Everybody is doing so great and getting stronger as well as breathing better in the endurance workouts I've been programing for you. I have been giving homework to Bo to ready him for his upcoming 50k and he's finding the time to hit it hard as well as make his sessions for CrossFit. Super stoked on him and his improvements he's making.

1 mile time trial ALL OUT EFFORT on 7% grade treadmill. rest 10 minutes, then 2 mile easy tempo run for time.

That's all the catching up for today - more tomorrow and more recipes as well :)

Zoned Turkey Chicken Chili

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie. Teresa has had this one a few times and my x husband Randy still makes it as well. Yummy dinner and lunch for a few days.

Turkey and Chicken Chili

1 large onion, chopped then sauted in olive oil.
1 cup chopped carrotts and 1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced green/red/yellow peppers
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
2 chicken breasts, skinless boneless
2 - 15 oz can tomatoe sauce
1/2 cup red wine
2- 30 oz cans stewed tomatoes or whole tomatoes
1 15 oz can kidney beans optional
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, sea salt.

saute diced veggies with olive oil until tendar. remove from pan and set aside. Spray pan with cooking spray and add ground turkey and diced up chicken breasts. Cook until almost done. Add back diced veggies along with red wine, tomatoes and garlic and spices. bring to boil.

simmer on low for 1 hour with top off. add kidney beans and simmer for another 15 minutes. turn off heat and let rest for 10 minutes before eating. Top with diced scallions. NO CHEESE although that would be delicious!

Bake gluten free cornbread to package instructions and enjoy a yummy guilt free meal thats great for you!

Im CrossFit and I KNow It......

Catchy Title. Check out my facebook for the video pertaining to the title...you'll definitely laugh your asses off! It's been a little while since Ive posted your workout results with amazing pictures, and I know how much you all love reading about what you've accomplished - so I'm sorry. I'll play a game of catch up right now.

Friday Megan kicked off the start of the weekend with her very first DOUBLE UNDERS! Check her out catching some air!! Misty did a fantastic workout along with her first ROPE CLIMBS!!! Amazing job girlies!!

I however did nothing super amazing except cook this delicious agave crusted salmon for dinner. Ignore the jalapeno coconut rice on the side please and focus ALLLL your attention on the yummy hunk of fish and vast green salad. Yum Yum!

Laughing My ASS OFF!!!

So I follow a Blog Called Pioneer Woman and the woman is hilarious!! This is her latest post. Im SURE you all can relate to this one!!!




Yesterday Marlboro Man and I ran to the big city to shop for his mom and grandma, to pick up a couple of last-minute things for the kids, and to be alone together and have one-on-one conversation without our four precious children, our hungry, demanding cattle herd, or our two malodorous Basset Hounds needing something. And we didn’t “run” to the big city, we drove, which brings me to my point: part of the topic of conversation in Marlboro Man’s pickup was our new wintertime plan—which is to start today—of getting out of bed at 5:00 am so that we can spend an hour working out together before the kids get up and before Marlboro Man needs to go feed cattle. This conversation began after I spent ten minutes lamenting how jiggly I am after a summer and fall of cooking constantly for my cookbook, filming two seasons of a cooking show, and discovering the joys of semi-soft unripened cheeses.
“My jeans are tight, my back fat is violent…” I said. “And I’m at the point where I either need to buy bigger jeans or do something drastic.” So Marlboro Man calmly and without agreeing with my back fat lamentations, which is why I’ll keep him, laid out his prescription of early morning exercise, and committed to joining me in my new fitness regimen so I wouldn’t have to go it alone. Of course, he didn’t empathize much. He is chiseled out of granite and weighs the same as he did when he was seventeen. Not that I’m complaining. Granite’s my favorite.
Two-thirds of the way to the big city, I asked Marlboro Man to pull off the highway and stop at a very busy convenience store so that I could get some coffee. I’m nursing an upper respiratory infection and had been feeling a little draggy, plus the conversation about my getting up at five to work out for an hour really wore me out. So we both went into the convenience store: Marlboro Man headed to the refrigerated case to get a can (not a bottle, as bottles don’t taste right) of Dr Pepper and I headed to the coffee area to fill a large cup with the nectar of life.
It took me awhile to fill my cup because this particular convenience store has a beautiful run of coffee options. You can get French Roast, Columbia Roast, Breakfast Blend, Kona Blend…not to mention all sorts of little squirts of flavor and shots of different forms of cream. I want this coffee area in my house, is what I’m saying. So I stood there and decanted, squirted and decanted some more until I had a great big ol’ cup of beautiful convenience store coffee that was likely extremely caloric but I only had one more day before my new exercise program so I figured I’d go out with a bang.
I headed toward the register. I could see Marlboro Man standing there waiting for me so he could pay for his Dr Pepper and my coffee together because he’s chivalrous that way, and because he has never known me to have a single dollar of cash on my person. The store was packed with other patrons, because it’s a choice location on a busy highway and because it’s an incredibly nice convenience store that offers many coffee choices, many wiener/hot dog choices…and doughnuts. Along my journey to the front of the store, I passed the very large, very impressive and beautiful glass doughnut case and was accosted by a very large, very crisp-and-sweet-looking apple fritter on the top shelf. It tapped me on the shoulder, then it reached out its long, evil fingers and said “Come…come to me.”
Without thinking, I removed an individual square of paper from the dispenser and reached for the knob of the window that was separating me from the apple fritter. I say without thinking because I somehow had completely pushed the entire conversation I’d just had with Marlboro Man about my back fat out of my consciousness. Or if it was at all in my consciousness, I must have rationalized it by reminding myself that I only had one more day to party before my 5 a.m. boot camp began, or even that apple fritters are actually a healthy doughnut option. They have fruit in them, after all.
I pulled the knob to the right, thinking the door would slide to open, but it met with a tiny bit of resistance. I had Christmas shopping on my mind—what size top I should get Edna Mae and how I wanted to find a perfume counter and sniff all the men’s cologne—so I inexplicably pulled backward on the knob, possibly thinking that the door opened by flipping up rather than sliding over. Then, suddenly, a horrible sound crashed through the heavily trafficked convenience store when the entire tempered glass front of the beautiful doughnut case shattered into thirteen million tiny, sparkly pieces. The sound was deafening and seemed to happen in slow motion, as if a house of glass sitting on a frozen lake had fallen down wall by wall. I stood there in shock, not knowing what to do. Glass was everywhere: in the doughnuts, on the floor, in the adjacent sandwich case, in my boots, into which I’d tucked my jeans. And the small stainless knob was still in my hand.
Customers ran over to see what had happened, my husband among them. And when he saw me standing there in the middle of a sea of tempered glass, a small knob in my hand, the now-exposed array of doughnuts right in front of me, and a look of horror and confusion on my face, he had but two questions for me:
“Are you okay?
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“I wanted a doughnut.”
By now the manager, assistant manager, cashier, assistant cashier, and probably all their friends and relatives had rushed over to the scene. The manager wanted to first make sure I was okay.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” the nice gentleman said. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
Still holding the knob, I answered, “Yes. My pride is hurt. It is badly, badly injured.”
But other than that, I told him, I was totally fine, and may I please borrow a broom and a shop vac so I can whisk all this away and pretend it never happened? I noticed a woman out of the corner of my eye. She had her hand over her mouth.
“Oh, we’ll take care of it,” the manager said. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m absolutely fine,” I insisted. “I am so, so sorry. I don’t know what happened. One minute I was reaching for an apple fritter…the next minute…” I shook my head in disbelief.
“It’s perfectly okay, ma’am,” he reassured me. “This has actually happened once before.”
I immediately felt better. I’m not the only person who’d shattered the doughnut case at this convenience store. All was suddenly better now. But then I did something I can’t explain. I instinctively began reaching for the apple fritter. I don’t think I actually had any control over this action. I didn’t logically believe I should get the apple fritter; I think it was a desperate attempt to just carry on and pretend the whole thing hadn’t happened. Or maybe I really just wanted a doughnut.
That’s when the assistant manager stepped in. “Oh, ma’am…you can’t have a doughnut now,” she said.
I know she was just trying to protect my gastrointestinal tract from glass shards, but at the time she said it I felt like a little girl who had just been grounded from round, delightful yeast treats. It took me a minute to realize she was just gently reminding me not to hurt myself. My face felt hot.
After several minutes of offering to help clean up and insisting on paying for the broken glass and trying to figure out what country I was going to move to once I left the store, I finally made my way to the counter so that Marlboro Man could finally pay for my coffee. But when we got there, the cashier held up his hand and said, “Don’t worry about it—no charge.” I think he wanted me to leave as soon as humanly possible.
When we got in Marlboro Man’s pickup and continued on our trip to the big city, I looked at Marlboro Man, who had a look on his face that I’ll never be able to describe. It was the look of a husband who is married to a complete klutz who complains about her tight jeans then stops at a convenience store and shatters a doughnut case while trying to retrieve an apple fritter. It was the look of a husband who has seen his wife fall down, run into doors, use the wrong remote control to change channels on the TV, and wear her black leggings inside out for an entire day without knowing. It was the look of a husband who had just filed another incident into his vault of similar moments…and who couldn’t wait to remind me of it the next time we’re driving together and I say I want to pull over and get coffee.
“You’re…funny,” he said, reaching over and squeezing my knee, which made me squeal.
Then we continued to the city and went Christmas shopping.
As for lessons I learned from this incident, I took away two:
1. That’s what I get for trying to eat a doughnut.
2. I’m never leaving the house again.
I hope you all have a joyful day. Merry Christmas Eve Eve!
Pioneer Woman

Thursday PRs

Thursday had a lot of PRs in store fr most of you. We started the day at 5 am with Matt and Mary KILLING it on Box Squats. Matt did 3 rep PR at 210#!! (old was 190) and Mary stayed with 10 reps at 95# to stay safe for little baby :). I can't believe how strong Mary is while being pregnate. Her pregnancy hasn't held her back from much at CrossFit. She lifts within reason, rows, climbs rope (until recently) and does some great workout. I am CONVINCED that keeping in motion while expecting is THE absolute best thing she can be doing for herself and for her baby. Not to mention she is in training for the toughest event of her life - which also is the happiest moment of her life. I am beyond proud of Mary and honored to be in charge of her training during this important time :)

Matt - you KILLED todays wod brother! You are gaining super strength and it's going to keep climbing up! Way to go!

Cari, Marian and Gia did an endurance WOD today:
800 meter run, 30 clean thrusters
800 meter run, 30 hang power cleans
800 meter run , 30 deadlifts
800 meter run....all with dumbells. They all finished under 25 minutes! Great lungs girls!!!

Carlos and Michelle attacked a barbell complex workout today with similar movements : clean thrusters, hpc, and jerks.
Most important MICHELLE GOT HER FIRST ROPE CLIMB TODAY!! Not only did she get 1----she got THREE!!! And all the way to the top too! I jumped up and down, hugged her and may of even spanked her on the butt in excitement while she headed out the door for her run. What a goof ball. Sometimes I think I get more excited than you guys do!!! :) YAY!!!!

Way to hit it hard today troop!! Super proud of my peeps!

Suffering With The Prowler

I apologize for putting many of you through a nasty prowler workout this week. Most of you crippled under the beast - but finished STRONG despite gasping for air. That shows amazing strength and lung capacity and even more - it shows determination to finish what you started!! I LOVE THAT! I was very proud of all my hard core Prowler pushers!

WOD:

Prowler suicide races x 3 rounds

30-20-10 knees to elbows
down ups, kb swings.

OWCH!!!