Weekend Update

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I'm a day behind, but I will get to that shortly.

Friday after work, I managed to get myself to the store to buy BFF's birthday gift AND do grocery shopping.  GO ME!  The rest of the day was pretty much worthless...aka enjoyably spent doing nothing in front of the TV. 

Saturday morning, I woke up and looked at the clock...7:29.  My CrossFit class is at 8am a few towns away.  Apparently I set my alarm for 8am instead of 7am.  Crap!  I Flight of the Bumblebee around my apartment getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc. and get myself on the road.  I actually get there at the perfect time! 

Then the most awesome thing of the weekend happened...Bach says that we aren't running today.  (Did you hear the angels sing??)  Instead we learn proper rowing form.  We also learned how to sumo lift (or something like that) and how to do thrusters.  Sounds more fun than it actually is.  :)  Army girl was having such troubles that they had to get her a lighter bar.  It felt good to be solidly in the pack instead of last, for once.  I guess I have a strong upper body.  Who knew?

After CF, I met Lizard at Home Depot to buy a grill.  She helped me get it home and then it was time to head to the casino!  Pepper and BFF both have birthday's around this time, so they decided to celebrate together.  Lizard drove and Pepper, Cookie & I drove up with her.  We met ShareBear on the road and BFF rode with her.  Once we checked in to the hotel, we headed to the pool.  It was only 105 degrees or so.  Yeesh!

After some pool time, Pepper, Cookie, BFF & I headed to Bingo.  We only got in a few games, but man...competition Bingo is stressful!  Those people mean business!!  We met some lovely ladies at Bingo.  There were four of the them and they never called each other by name, just called each other "Sister".  It was especially confusing when one of them was talking to another and was saying, "Sister...sister is trying to talk to you."  I decided they were nuns out on a gambling excursion.  :)

Before we knew it, it was time for dinner.  There was a fairly nice steakhouse in the casino.  Pepper has some crazy bad food allergies and she spoke with the chef before hand to make sure she could get something.  They were so great to prepare her a delicious meal that she could enjoy.  I love that!! 



Lizard, Pepper, ShareBear, me, BFF, Cookie

After dinner we gambled for a while...some more than others.  I lost about $60 rather quickly and called it quits.  Cookie went back to the room early.  She is a mom of two and sitting the room with her book was just the escape she needed!  ShareBear headed home since she didn't stay the night.  Lizard, Pepper & I sat out by the pool and listened to a DJ play music.  BFF was still rocking the slots!

By midnight, we were all ready to turn in.  That is until Pepper found a tenner that was burning a hole in her pocket.  She and BFF headed back out to the slots and ended up winning quite a bit! 

The next morning, we met for breakfast and then headed out.  We stopped at a small town church nearby and had mass before heading home.  All in all it was a wonderful quickie girls trip!

Sunday, after getting home and doing some chores, I fired up the new grill.  I made watermelon salad and vinegar cucumbers earlier.  I marinated the chicken thighs in some sesame ginger sauce and grilled them.  I still need to work at it to get better at cooking on the grill, but they were delicious and it is a start!  I picked up some fish filets as well, so I'm hoping to make those tomorrow night.

I woke up at midnight Sunday night sick as a dog.  My first thought was that I had poisoned myself and BFF.  I almost texted her to see if she was sick too.  I have an iron stomach, but holy cow, it was going nuts.  There has been a little stomach bug going around (BFF had it after Vegas) and I'm wondering if that's what it was.  Because BFF said she was fine the next day.  I got back to sleep around 4am and when my alarm went off around 6am, I knew it was a no go.

I didn't get out of bed until NOON, which is just crazy for me.  Once I got up, I didn't move from my chair much at all.  I did end up going to my Support Group at the end of the evening, which quite honestly, I really needed.  I had missed the June meeting because I was at my boss's lakehouse.  While that was worth it, I really needed the inspiration from my peeps!

I was going to get some ice cream after the meeting, but I was inspired to do something lower calorie instead.  YAY!  Additionally, when I got home, I ordered a new BodyBugg.  I don't know where Jillian is, but I have accepted that I need that extra motivation that my BodyBugg gives me, so I have to deal with the fact she is gone and replace her.  I'm sure that now I have ordered a new one, she will turn up.  :)

Now that my trips are over, it will be nice to enjoy some lower key fun this month.  My dinner group is getting together this weekend and the DFW Blogger lunch is the following weekend.  Lots of fun!!

CrossFit should be interesting tonight!  Here's to not puking!!!

Hugs!

BYOC

It’s time for BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy…a couple of questions we answer to get to know each other better and to give our blogging brains a break! Copy and paste to your own blog and enjoy!

1. If you were asked to symbolize yourself as an animal – which animal would you be?

I will say, this is not something I have give a lot of thought.  My first thought was a ladybug because I like them.  But then I thought about it for a minute and said eff that.  Too easy to die!  I think I would choose to be an elephant.  Because then people would APPRECIATE my fat ass and if they didn't, I could stampede them!

[Wow, Beth Ann...feeling a little aggressive today?  Geeze.]


2. Did you ever play an organized sport – with coaches, rules and scoring? Tell us about it.

I started basketball and volleyball in elementary school.  I played through Junior High, but then everybody started telling me I was fat, so I quit.  That seems productive, huh?  I joined the swim team in high school because my SIL (future SIL at the time) told me too and I thought she was uber cool, so I did.  I wasn't so great, but it was a lot of fun. When SIL's mom stopped being the coach, I quit and joined the Flag Corp in the Band.  I was actually pretty good at that, even if I was fat.  (Hmmm...someone is feeling a little down on themselves today.)

A few months ago, I was looking for a hobby and thought about joining some sort of community team, but I just couldn't find anything that really grabbed me.  With my new CrossFit obssession, I'm getting the fitness and competition (with myself) that I crave, so that's good.


3. When did you start shaving your legs?

I honestly don't remember.  I feel quite sure it is because somebody made me.  I was quite the tomboy and didn't get into feminine hygeine or makeup or any of that without a good kick.  Times have changed though because even though I'm tough, I'm about as girlie as they come.


4. When you’re in a crabby – pissy – want to stab everyone you see kind of mood – what do you do to get out of it or do you revel in it?

I know I'm in a mood like that when I start creating arguments in my head with everyone.  I will imagine my boss saying something not nice, or BFF insulting me, or one of my consultants pissing me off....when they did not do one.  single.  thing.  I don't know where it comes from because often, I'm not even talking to that person.

It drives me crazy, but I have always been like that.  It used to control me, but now I'm able to recognize it and shift my thoughts.  Currently, I will acknowledge that the problem is ME and then start thinking about my new boyfriend Adam Levine (isn't he dreamy?) or my volleyball boyfriend.  :)  Seems to work 95% of the time.  If it doesn't, which is rare, I just really try to avoid everyone!


5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blogland and in real life.

Blogland is super duper!  I'm getting really excited about Chicago.  I love that I asked for some grilling ideas and I got a TON!  I'm thankful every day to have this community.

Real life is also super.  I left off the duper because I am hella sore.  You know I'm loving my CrossFit and I'm looking forward to getting my grill!!

HUGS!

Tales from CrossFit

I want to take a short break from my regular posting to offer my prayers to the family of Shannon Stone.  You all have probably read about the man who died at the Ballpark last night while trying to catch a foul ball.  The story is so unbelievably sad and I specifically pray for his son who witnessed the fatal fall.  My heart also goes out to Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers baseball team.  While the largest loss is to Shannon's family, I would imagine that Josh Hamilton's life will never be the same.  Each and every foul ball he comes in contact with he will no doubt run this scene through his head. 

Hopefully this will remind people that accidents can happen at any time and you should always play safely.  Nothing...and certainly not a baseball...is worth your life.  Be careful.

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So I went to my 2nd CrossFit Fundamental class yesterday.  I'm not nearly as sore today as I was yesterday.  This time we "warmed up" with a 400m run which apparently is going to be a thing.  Super.  Then we learned about the proper form for dead lifts, shoulder presses and push presses.  She noticed that we were really tight in the shoulders (duh!  My whole body was aching!) so she showed us some spectacular stretches that really made a huge difference.

You wouldn't think that learning form would be a good workout, but my heartrate got up several times and I was sweating like crazy.  After she felt we had the right form on everything, it was time for the Workout of the Day.  Sometimes the WOD is for time (how fast you can do it), for a duration (you do it for a specified time period), or for completion (I think this is more for beginners and it is just do it until you finish, but they aren't timing you.)

This WOD was for completion.  We had 4 sets of 20 deadlifts with a medicine ball followed by a 400m run.  So, let me clarify...we would do 20 deadlifts and then run 400m, then do 20 more deadlifts and then run 400m, then...  We ran a mile total just in the WOD.  And did I mention that all running is outside?  And need I remind you that I live in Texas and it is 100 degrees when I'm doing this?  Super duper pooper scooper.

I was the last one finished BY FAR.  Even Puker was back and he beat me (although I did see him cutting his last 400m short).  But I FINISHED and I did absolutely every deadlift prescribed and I kept my running form for every single meter.  I'm slow, but I did it!  By the last one, I really had to push it and I just kept pushing.  That is what I LOVE about this class.

I feel much less sore today.  Between the stretches and less strength training, I think I'm going to be less sore all day.  I guess I will know more after lunch.  :)  My next class is tomorrow morning at 8am.  I think we are going to be lifting weights so that should be interesting.  I still have bruises on my knees from the pushups on Tuesday, so I'm hoping those will heal before we have to do more.  Just motivation to get strong enough to do them military style and not on my knees!

Sidenote:  while writing this, I was summoned to the President's office.  He wanted to know how my CrossFit class went.  Ha!  I like having the extra pressure. 

I know you all will get sick of hearing about CrossFit and I apologize in advance.  :)

Hugs!!

Grill on!

Okay, Blogger friends...I'm getting a grill!  It is just a small propane outdoor grill, but a grill none the less.  I want to make an effort to eat healthier dinners.  I get home later in the evening, so I don't want to wait for something to cook in the oven and I'm not a fan of microwaved meat.  I thought a grill might help in that respect.

So, what are your favorite things to grill?  I need some good ideas.  Any tips or tricks you have for yummy, healthy grilling would be awesome!

THANKS & HUGS!!

What does half-assed Jazzercising look like?

Well, if you were standing behind me last night, you would know.  I did some good low impact moves, but it was definitely not my best showing.  In all fairness, I could barely feel my legs at times.  Holy cow, I'm sore.

I had a moment last night.  I was in my car in the parking lot at my apartment willing myself to get out and go in.  But I hurt all over and I just sat there.  I even started to cry a little thinking, why in the hell am I doing this??  Then I read some sweet, sweet comments from you all about my blog yesterday.  The one that really got me was from FitBy40 and I realized in that moment EXACTLY why I was doing this.  I just started bawling.  Alone.  In my car.  Thank goodness my neighbors didn't walk by. 

It was a good reminder of my goals.  Yesterday's post shows that I have come SO far.  And I love that and I'm proud of myself.  But I want more and just saying that over and over is not going to get anything done.  The funny thing is that during class, I LOVE IT!  It is just the in between that hurts.  :)  But I have been assured that this will not last forever.  I have 11 more classes in my current committment and I look forward to the challenge!

I was slightly annoyed this morning that I have gained 3 pounds since starting this little adventure.  [Note: at the time I actually could hear Fluffy saying, "GET OFF THE SCALE ALREADY!"]  I'm ignoring the weight gain knowing it is all part of the process.  My body will adjust eventually.

I just need to get through tonight, then I have a whole day off from exercise.  Then one Saturday morning workout and I'm done for the weekend.  I can do that! 

On Saturday, we are celebrating BFF's & Pepper's birthdays.  [Sometimes I just like to see if I can make up nicknames for all my friends then try to keep them straight...]  Anyway, a few of us are going to a nearby casino Saturday afternoon and staying the night.  It will be loads of fun, but it will be nice when I finally have a full weekend at home.  :)  I can sleep when I'm dead, right?

Hugs!