You gotta shake it off!

Hey everyone!

It’s been awhile! Life has been out of control. September came and went, and now my head is spinning with thought of October already being here. I guess it’s good to be busy! Anyway, my last post sort of touched on the negative things that have been going on in life. While all of the negativity doesn’t seem to be gone, I sure have been able to get rid of most of it!

The past few weeks have again showed me that I’m stronger than I think. As most of you know, I’ll be participating in the O2X Challenge on October 18th at Loon Mountain. It’s probably one of the most terrifying things I’ll ever do in my life. It’s an outdoor trail run (walk for me) with natural obstacles. Again, I don’t know what possessed me to sign up for this, but I did, and now I have to focus. This past weekend a group of us made a trip up to Blue Hills Ski area to do some trail run prep. Our group was lead by the amazing Mike Monarch. When we got there he told us that we were going to go up and down the ski slope as many times as possible. UP THE SKI SLOPE- like the slope that people ski DOWN. Oh okay. It was too late to back out, because he already saw me- haha. So we started warming up, doing some stretches, and the whole time I’m looking up at the slope. My body was going to have to make it all the way up there. And back. More than once. We finished warming up, and MM cut us loose to get up the slope at our own pace. Of course pretty much everyone took off running. Not me- I know my limits, and it was also SO HOT on Sunday. Like, come on Fall, get it together. I got about 1/4 of the way up and turned around to see how far I had gone. It wasn’t that far- and I had so much more to go. I was struggling. I was breathing so heavy, my back hurt, I was sweating (who wears all black to go hiking?) and I was thinking about turning around and calling it a day. Just at that moment, MM came down from the top, and asked me how I was doing. Obviously I was struggling. I probably was crying, I don’t even know at this point. I remember the first thing I said to him was “My body wasn’t made for this kind of activity.” His response- “Of course it was-let’s go.” I knew he wasn’t gonna let me just scoot back down the slope- I was getting up there, no matter how long it took. We got to this particularly steep spot, and that’s when I lost it. I told him that there’s absolutely no way I’m getting up there, and I’m going to drop out of the O2X challenge (drama queen that I am). Of course he talked me off the ledge and made me go up a little more, then rest. In the whole time I was on that slope, I can’t even count how many random people stopped to ask if I wanted some water, if I was okay, if I wanted their walking stick, and to tell me how great I was doing. It was truly a humbling experience. It restored my faith in humanity a little. So Mike and I kept trucking. I felt so bad for keeping him behind, and not letting him get his trail run in, but he assured me it was fine, so on we went. We finally made it to the top, and it was the best feeling. Just like completing all of those box step-ups at the competition. There was a group of people at the top who started clapping when I got up there; a few of the guys from my group who were waiting and of course, Mike. I can’t thank that man enough for everything he’s done for me. He is truly an amazing human, and a great example of what a coach should be. After a few minutes of rest, it was time to get back down. Mike took me down the bunny hill, since it would be less steep, and scary. Wrong- it was still scary. I think going downhill is more scary- you don’t have much control, but thankfully I had my new trail shoes, which worked out really well. I made it back down to the bottom to see Elena, Alisa, & Olivia waiting for me. They had already been up and down a few times- totally impressed by those ladies. Another guy in our group, Chris had this fancy watch on which told us what altitude we were at. After all was said and done, we ended up rising up 553ish FT. That’s legit. I’m so proud and happy that I made it up there, but more importantly, I’m actually excited for the O2X. I mean, of course I’m going to be scared until we get there, but for now, I’m excited- because I know that I will be able to do it. Thank you MM and EM for everything- Words cannot express the amount of love and respect I have for you both. I’m forever grateful for you!

Other big things happening soon:

I signed up for my SECOND competition!! WOOT. I’m so excited! This one is for a good cause. It’s for Barbells for Boobs being held at CrossFit Tolerance in Rhode Island. I initially wasn’t going to sign up for it, because one of the wods was burpee barbell jump overs- and I’m just not there yet, but Justin, the owner of CFT, was super cool and accommodating. He ended up changing the standards anyway, so that in the scaled division, you could have a trailing foot. That is coming up next weekend on October 12th! If you would like to donate, I’ve included the link in this post. It’s for a great cause, that helps pay for mammograms for early detection for breast cancer. Every little bit helps, so just give it a thought! https://fundraise.barbellsforboobs.org/fundraise?fcid=351181

#NutritionFest starts tomorrow at RCFBC! It’s a paleo challenge with a teammate! I’m glad to be back on paleo challenge- I feel like I got a lot out of it last time, and I’m fully committed this time. Naturally, I chose my main chick- Kate Hutch to partner up with. We did all of our food shopping today & we are ready to go for tomorrow! Team #BlackonBlackonBlack is coming for you guys!!!

Tomorrow also begins the start of my first Olympic Lifting course. I’m very excited. I’m not sure what to expect, but I know it’s going to be awesome. I have been waiting for this class to happen at bare cove, and finally it’s here!! I’m hoping to make some gains, learn some new skills, and get stronger overall.

Other NEWS! Reebok CrossFit Bare Cove is opening a second location on the Scituate/Cohasset line called CrossFit SciCoh!! It was a huge announcement, and an awesome surprise. I’m so happy for Mike, Chris & Sharon on this new endeavor. I’m excited for our community to expand, although I am a little nervous that we’ll lose some of our members. Everything will work out! This is going to be awesome for the community!

So that covers most of what’s going on. Honestly, I can’t remember what else, but this seems like a pretty decent list of good things!

Oh yeah….I HAVE A WEBSITE!!!! With the help of many people, I finally setup a website, and will be posting my blogs on there, along with my favorite recipes, products, etc. I’m so excited to share it with you all! Take a peek, share with your friends, and leave me some feedback! I appreciate everyone’s support more than you know! http://www.thatcrossfitgirl.com/.

Have a wonderful week! XOXOXOXO – AA

Blown Away in Canton

WanderWOD

By Zach Mosbarger

Only at Reebok CrossFit One would it be possible to be partnered up during class with a Reebok employee who helped design and develop the very shoes you were wearing on your feet.  Yes, RCF1 is a magical place, a Disney World for adults with a passion for fitness.  Rigs, rings, rowers, perfectly aligned and dispersed in every direction.  This box housed more GHDs and bars and weights and ropes than I’d ever seen together in one place.  I really shouldn’t have expected the headquarters of one of the world’s leading fitness brands to have anything other than a top-notch facility, but this post isn’t meant to be about the equipment.  On the contrary, it was the people of RCF1 that made the gym come alive.  The spirit of the place could be felt from the top down, starting with the phenomenal coaching staff led by four-time…

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Second Guessing…

Hey everyone!

Hope you’re all doing well! I am sore. I’ve been sore for like 2 weeks. It could be that “hiking”  I’ve been doing the past two weekends, or the million back-squats we did last week, whatever the reason, it’s a good sore. Lately I’ve been struggling with second guessing my decisions, and dealing with a taste of social anxiety.

I have been thinking too much about things- crossfit, work, life in general, and getting in my own head.  Second guessing myself in regards to CrossFit has been hard for me. I’ve been cherry picking wods, and that’s not good. I read the wod ahead of time, and think to myself, “You can’t do that”  “You’re not good at that movement, you should just skip.” And then I don’t go. And I feel guilty, and mad at myself. It’s a vicious circle, and it sucks. So, from now on, I’m going even when I “can’t” do a movement, because there is always a scaling option, and me of all people should know that!!

Something really cool that I did this week was drop in to a box for a class. It was my first time not being at my home base ( besides the competition) and it was scary and intimidating and fun all at the same time. Kate, Dan, & I dropped in to CrossFit Magnitude in Pembroke, MA. Dan’s girlfriend, and our friend Jami was coaching that night. So at least there would be a familiar face. The place was nothing like Bare Cove, but I got a fairly decent workout out of it, and came away with some new knowledge of the snatch. It’s scary not being at home and not knowing what the rules are. I was way out of my element, but it was good to see how other boxes operate.

The WOD that got me this week was “Squat Elizabeth.” 21-15-9  Squat cleans & ring dips. I have yet to master the coordination it takes to complete a squat clean. I can power clean and muscle clean all day, but once you throw that squat in there, forget it. I had relatively light weight on the bar (65#) , had to scale the ring dips with the Matador, and I was riding that struggle bus. 5 reps in to the set of 21 squat cleans, I regretted the weight I chose, and regretted coming to class all together. But I tried to put it behind me and power through. Luckily, my friend Marvin was visiting from California, and dropped into my class. He probably finished in like 2 minutes 🙂 , so he had plenty of time left over, and he came over and cheered me on & tried to get me to focus on the task at hand. If it weren’t for him and the rest of the amazing people in my class, I would’ve started crying and it just would have been bad. So thanks for that, M- love ya & miss ya! XO. I ended up finishing the WOD in 16ish minutes- the longest of everyone, but at least I finished.

In addition to second guessing my training, I’m 100% regretting signing up for the O2X challenge in October. I’ve been on two hikes so far, and both of them, made me more terrified of what’s to come during the challenge. A big group of us went out to Wompatuck State Park this past Saturday, and it was really scary for me. Thank goodness for Mike L. He walked with me the whole time, while those other crazies took off running on the trails!  I’ve already made it clear that I will NOT be running anywhere in the woods (unless of course, I’m being chased, and even then it’s negotiable). I’m prone to falling on flat surfaces, so add in leaves/branches/rocks/uneven surfaces, and forget it- I’m bound to go down at some point. During the latest hike, there was a “scramble” hill. I had no idea that’s what it was called, but basically it’s just like a steep hill that you have to “scramble” to get up AKA look out for any sort of branches or roots you can grab a hold of to get up the hill. When Mike and I made it to the rest of the group, they were just busting up and down that scramble so fast. I looked at it, and thought to myself “Not today, I don’t want to get hurt.” I should know by now that Mike L and MM are not going to let me not do something, because I think I can’t do it. It was my turn, and I had butterflies. That bad kind of butterflies- not the good kind. I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself in front of this whole group of people. I ran up to the base of the hill and stopped, because I noticed  that it was a lot steeper that I thought. No effing way I was getting this body up there. But ML was on one side of me, while MM was on the other side of me. They told me where to put my hands, where to my feet, and of course I had the cheers from the Bare Cove crew below me. I can’t even bear crawl on flat ground, and now I had to figure out how to do it on an incline. I hated every minute of that- I still don’t know how I got up there, but I’m glad I did. When I got in the car, I was proud that I did it, but also nervous, because I would be seeing way more of those scrambles at a much higher incline. What am I going to do in October?

So of course I turned to my voice of reason, Elena, and she told me this: “1) We can always walk/hike instead of run 2) Some of those photos are double diamond, not single 3) We can dress very warm 4) We have a whole month to prepare and fear is helpful in motivating me to do so 5) WE ARE EXPERIENCED CROSSFITTERS.” I wrote these down, and I’m keeping them with me until October. I can do this. I have to just convince my mind that I can!

In addition to all of this, I’ve been having some social anxiety. Over the past 2-3 weeks, I’ve had plans with people & almost immediately after making those plans, I regret it, and hope the other person cancels, or something comes up, and I can’t make it. It’s strange. It’s not that I don’t like the people that I’m making plans with, I just get this overwhelming feeling of insecurity and feeling like I don’t belong. Last week I had plans with my friend Meg. She lives in Southie, and I was excited to see her apartment, and be around her neighborhood. Then the day of came, and I was looking for a way out. For no particular reason- I love her- and once I got there, I was fine. It was just the initial thought of being out in public, at my size, that made me nervous and anxious. I told my therapist about it, & he told me the only way to get over it, is to keep showing up. So that’s what I’ll do. Hopefully it works!

Sometimes I think I just need to get out of my own head & remember that if people don’t like me for who I am (no matter my size) then they can pound sand. I am a good person, with a good heart, and a fairly decent personality. Being fat or skinny will not change that. I’m thankful for all of my friends who are helping me get through this (Especially you, Kate Hutch!).

So goals for the next couple of weeks: Stop cherry picking wods; Give it my all when I’m at the box; get out of my own head; focus on the positives; and remember how far I’ve come. If I can do that, I think I’ll be okay.  🙂

Have an amazing week! -AA ❤

 

Benchmark Week and other things…

Hey everyone!
Hope you are all enjoying the last few days of Summer…How did it get to be Labor day all ready?? While I’m not happy to see the summer go, I am happy for cooler fall air! I feel like people are nicer in the fall too…I don’t know why, maybe I’m just wacky….haha.

Okay, to the important things…BENCHMARK WEEK(S)!!!!!! Every few months RCFBC does a couple of weeks of all benchmark WODS- mostly girls, and 1RM stuff. It’s awesome because you can actually see all of the progress you’ve made by just getting your daily workout in! We have a PR (personal record) board at our box, where everyone can write down their accomplishments! Usually it’s just one little corner of the board. This benchmark week it had tripled in size!! How cool is that? People getting strong and doing things they never thought they would! While I didn’t PR on every wod or 1RM max we did, I did have a bunch! Here they are:

CrossFit Total (1RM back-squat/strict press/deadlift):  470lbs. Previous was 430lbs!
Grace: 5:23 @ 75lbs. Previous was 5:10 @ 70lbs
Isabel: 2:55 @ 60lbs. Previous was 3:10 @ 55lbs
Fran: 10:48 @ 65lbs & ring rows. Previous was 11:40!
Diane: 7:57 @ 115lb dead-lift & 25lb dumb-bell strict press. Previous was 8:08 @ 95lbs!
Fight Gone Bad: 149 Reps- Less reps, but I used the 20in box for step-ups instead of a 16in!!! 🙂
1RM Thruster: 90lbs
1RM Strict press: 90lbs. Previous was 85lbs
1RM Snatch: 85lbs. Previous was 80lbs
1RM Front Squat: 145lbs. Previous was 110lbs!!!!
1RM Back Squat: 155lbs. Previous was 150lbs
1RM Deadlift: 225lbs. Previous was 195lbs!

I have to admit, seeing them all listed like this is pretty cool. Seeing the PR board tripled in size is pretty cool. Everyone at the box getting better and being amazing is pretty cool. I can’t wait to see how we all do in the coming months. Benchmark week has also taught me a lot. For example, Fran SUCKS. No matter how you scale it. It’s going to be terrible. I get way too nervous doing back squats, so I need to practice dumping the weight more often. I would much rather do a front squat any day. Sometimes I freak my own self out during wods. I need to have more confidence in my abilities. And lastly, I need to give myself a little more credit. I’m doing things now that I would’ve never dreamed of doing last year. My body is capable of some amazing stuff, and I should celebrate that, instead of put myself down for things I can’t do (yet). Now we are doing a month of WODs just from CrossFit mainsite. These are really awesome. So far, I’ve learned that I can’t do high rep snatches with good form…or high rep ab mat situps without being sore for two days after! Doing mainsite WODs is cool, because that’s how CrossFit started. I’m reading a book now called “Learning to Breathe Fire” by J.C. Herz. I highly suggest you pick it up & give it a read. I’m about half way through, and already I’ve learned so much about the roots of CrossFit and some of the original CF starters. If you go to RCFBC, I’m almost done & I’ll leave it at the box if anyone wants to borrow it (Elena has first dibs! 🙂 ).

In addition to these really amazing PRs, I’ve been working on doing more clean eating. It’s been tough, because I love ice cream (hello, who doesn’t?) but I figure, if I can get my diet under control, then I will be able to way more, faster. I’m going to be starting a really cool meal plan next week, called EverThin. I know it sounds something that’s going to be a fad, but I promise you, it’s not. There will be more on this product later- once I give it a shot and see how it goes….muhuhahahaha. I don’t know why I put an evil laugh there….that was weird…haha.

Other fun things going on- I’m in the process of making a website! How cool is that? I never thought it would happen, but with my new found stardom (just kidding…bahahah) I figured, the time was right. I’ll be sharing my blog on there, as well as my favorite products, reviews, recipes, & some giveaways! I’ll let ya’ll know when it’s ready to be published completely. I hope you all will stay with me on that, when it all comes together. I’m not as tech savvy as I thought I was, so it may take some time!
And I got to see the Boston Iron, Boston’s home NPGL team! It was a great day with even better people. Look up the Grid League- it’s pretty cool what they are doing! I can’t wait for the next home match (obviously, because I’ll get a chance to see my main squeeze, Spencer Hendel!!!!!!!!!!) haha.

Lastly, I want to share with you something that’s been on my mind for a while. If you’ve been following me/know me in real life, you know I’ve been all about trying to find a mate & online dating. Spoiler alert: online dating is the worst, and I’ve only encountered actual creeps (not guys that I only think are creeps- I’ve run them by indifferent parties, and they’ve agreed). I’ve never been on a date, which is weird, considering I’m going to be 28….but whatever. I realized the other day that I’m a pretty rad person (stealing that from you Rach!!) I have a good heart, come from a good family, and I’m pretty hilarious (at least I like to think so!). So when the time is right, I’ll find someone who will see all of my amazing qualities & be like “hey, she’s pretty awesome!” But until then, I’m going to learn more about myself, and make sure that I’m the best person I can be. I’m going to enjoy time with my friends and family & just do me. I may never find “the one” but it won’t matter because I’ll be wholeheartedly happy.

Another cool thing that happened this week- I signed up for my first outdoor obstacle course race! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I fall walking up stairs, I don’t know what I was thinking signing up to go up a mountain, but I’ll have some pretty amazing people by my side, so it will be so fun! It’s the O2X Summit Challenge on Loon Mountain in NH, in October. It’s definitely going to be an experience to say the least.

Tomorrow is KettleBells for Kids at the box! I can’t wait! It’s a WOD event to help raise money for homeless children in Massachusetts. It’s scary how many kiddos don’t have a place to live. Here’s the link if you want more info, or would like to donate to a great cause! http://kettlebells4kids.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1115108&lis=1&kntae1115108=238899EA3E234B6D833D036701EE29EC&supId=411071848

Enjoy the holiday weekend, and be safe! Love you all!
-AA

Community.

Hi Everyone!!! These last two weeks have been truly incredible. Like, beyond words awesome. I don’t even know how to start to thank each and every one of you. It just wouldn’t be enough. ❤

This past week was the start of BenchMark Weeks at my box. We are doing all of the popular benchmark wods & comparing our progress from last time we did them! I’ve had a lot of PR’s this week, including 155lb back squat (5lb PR), 90lb strict press (5lb PR), 225lb dead-lift (30lb PR)! I also PR’d my “Grace” weight by 5lbs (75lb), but added on 10 seconds- still a win! Tomorrow we are doing “Isabel” 30 snatches for time…not my favorite girl, but I’ll give her my all! Sorry if this blog post is all over the place, I’m trying to make sure I get everything in here!! 

I used to complain that I never had any support from my family- and now that doesn’t matter. While I would love for my mom and dad to be interested in what I do in my CF life, it’s no longer something that I crave. Ever since that video of me finishing the final wod at the Battle of the South Shore Boxes, with everyone in the whole place cheering me on, went viral, I’ve been over the moon. There has been over 11,000 shares (including one from CAMILLE LEBLANC BAZINET & CROSSFIT HQ!!), over 1,000 likes, over 500 comments, over 42,000 blog page hits from all over the world! No lie, I got fan mail. And my friend Hutch made me a Facebook fan page. Seriously. Is this real life? These are just a few of the countries that my story has been shared with: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Mexico, France, Costa Rica, Norway, Italy, Chile, & Puerto Rico. So crazy! 

What really resonates with me is the messages that I’ve received from complete strangers- telling me that I am the reason that they push harder in a workout; the reason they finally started crossfit; the reason they didn’t give up when they got an injury. I’ve always looked up to other people as my inspiration, so having people look up to me as their inspiration is kind of wacky. I almost feel like I’m not worthy of such praise. I just go to the box day after day, and do what I  need to do. What makes me so special? I talked to my therapist about this, since I’m still having a really hard time accepting this kind of attention (P.S.- he teared up when saw the video too!), and he told me that people look up to me because I have mental fortitude. Most people would have quit when they broke their wrist, and I didn’t. I modified. I kept going. Sometimes I wonder what made me stay during the whole wrist ordeal. I for sure would’ve quit, but something changed in me. I  thank God everyday that I didn’t quit, because who knows where I would be now- probably very unhappy. 

While I can’t say that I’m in the best shape of my life, I can say that I have the tools and so many incredible people around me to push me way further than I would ever push myself, and for that I am eternally grateful. Complete strangers told me they are on my side & can’t wait to follow along with my progress. If that doesn’t show how positive the CrossFit community is, then I don’t know what does. 

As defined by Google (because I can’t find my paper dictionary/Google knows everything): 

com·mu·ni·ty/ kəˈmyo͞onitē/

1. a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

“Rhode Island’s Japanese community”
synonyms: group, body, set, circle, clique, faction;
2.a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
“the sense of community that organized religion can provide”

Some people call us a “cult.” I am so glad I decided to join this cult, and don’t plan on ever leaving. I don’t think I ever could! 

Shameless shout-out: If you want to keep up with my crossfit life, I’ll be posting most of them on my fan page (um, how weird is that? I have a fan page)! here: https://www.facebook.com/RUthatcrossfitgirlAA?ref=hl

You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter: @ama2414

To see more great pics from the competition, check out Meg Ellery Photography- she caught some great shots of all the hot  guys I couldn’t fully ogle because I was nervous!;)  http://elleryphotography.smugmug.com/Battle-of-the-South-Shore-Boxe/

Thrusters…GROSS.

I could look at this picture a million times, and still tear up and be over the moon happy every time.

THIS is CrossFit.

Wow. I’m completely overwhelmed with love and support from yesterday! In case you didn’t see the millions of posts, yesterday I competed in my first individual scaled competition at CrossFit781 in Weymouth. I was apprehensive to sign up, because I’m not an athlete- by any stretch of the imagination. I never have been. So I talked to my coach, and he sort of eased my mind, and I signed up. I was fine for a while- there were a lot of people from my box in the competition- so I would be at ease. Then the wods were released. One of them included 25 20″ box step ups. If you’ve followed me before, you know that anything having to do with a box is the bane of my existence. About a year and a half ago, I fell off of a box while doing box jumps and have had a mental struggle with any kind of box ever since. It’s just a stupid box, but it has caused me so much trouble! As soon as the wods were released, I knew I had to start stepping on that box- before class/after class/during wods- I just had to do it. So many people from my box (the box and the box- something I love and hate! HA), gave me tips, and stayed with me, held my hand and helped me get on the box. But I knew I had to do this one myself. This competition was real, and I wouldn’t be in the comforts or familiarity of my own box.
A week before the competition, one of my amazing coaches, Mike M, opened up the box on Sunday and allowed us to come and do a dry run of all of the wods, just so we could get a feel for what was in store next week. It was an understatement to say I was scared. Although the weight was light for the power cleans and thrusters (45lbs), it still took me longer than I expected. The burpees and the wallballs were gross- it’s two movements that I HATE, and that gas me so quickly. It takes me forever to do burpees, but I can do them. But it was the chipper wod that got me. 25 deadlifts, 25 box stepups, 25 abmat situps, 25 cal row, 25 jumping pullups, 25 stepups, & 25 deadlifts. All to be finished in 13 minutes. Yeah, ok- never happening. During practice, I struggled to get 12 stepups…Like really struggled, and I was completely discouraged for the competition. I just didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of all those people. I’m already self-conscious as it is, being the biggest competitor, but not being able to get on that box would crush my self-confidence completely.
Finally, it was competition day. I was nervous and anxious and excited all in one. I saw a bunch of familiar faces from my box, so I got a little more comfortable, but I knew those step ups were coming, so I would never be comfortable until those were over with! Of course they were programmed last! First up was the wall ball/burpee nastiness. Dan was my judge, and I’m so glad he was there. He made me focus on just me and him and the task at hand- just block everyone else out. Dan- you don’t know how much you making me focus helped. I did the burpees at the best pace I’ve ever done before. It was awesome.
After that little number, came a 10min AMRAP of 5 power cleans; 7 thrusters (gross), and 9 KB swings. I thought this would be easier than it was, but it wasn’t. I had our head coach Mike L as my judge (I basically told all of the girls in our heat that I claimed him…hahahah). My sister and her boyfriend along with my best friend and her husband were there, and now I knew I had to bring it. This was my time to prove to my non-crossfit family and friends what we are all about. Mike- your coaching during that wod, was incredible- I’m forever grateful for you. After that wod, I was gassed, but luckily I had a few hours to kill before the final chipper wod was up. More time to kill = more time to think. I started to get into my own head and second guess my decision to sign up again.
Seeing all of these incredibly athletes made me think that there’s no way I should be here as a participant. I’m no where near their level of athleticism and what was I thinking, signing up for a competition at my size? How do I always get myself into these problems? I broke down while waiting and watching the men’s heat (I would normally be completely focused on no shirt wearing men, so that’s when I knew something was wrong)! Michelle- my biggest fan, tried to give me a pep talk, but it wasn’t working, and my heat was coming up. I don’t know who told him to come and find me, but Mike M, my coach, friend, and teammate came over just as my heat was announced. He just looked me in the eye and told me I could do this. I did it last week, and I could do it now. It was everything I needed. Of course I claimed Mike L as my judge again- I needed him a lot during yesterday, but especially during this one. I finished the 25 dead-lifts in no time, and then it was time for the box. I missed the first time I tried to get on there. Mike told me to shake it off and go again. So that’s what I did. I took some advice that Elena had given me a while back- just treat them like stairs-you go up stairs all the time. So I backed up, got some momentum, and got on that box. Then Jason, the head coach from CF781 came up and started cheering me on. Let me tell you about Jason. He’s on my man calendar at work (yes, of course I have a man calendar) I posted a pic of the calendar, and low and behold, one of my friends knows him and tagged him in it. We became facebook friends, and then his box hosted battle of the south shore boxes! He is such a nice guy, and completely welcomed me and my bare cove family to his gym. And yes ladies, he’s just as handsome in real life! hahaha. His fiance, Dani is gorgeous as well, and just as nice! So back to the box….It took all I had to get up there. But every time I did, the whole entire place erupted with cheers. It was so loud, amazing, awesome, incredible, and every other adjective!  Every time my stepped up there, the cheers got louder and louder. People that didn’t even know me- getting excited for me and cheering me on. I’ve never felt love like that before (wait- isn’t that a song? haha). I focused on Chris, Sharon, and Lauren in the back of the room. Their faces were familiar and everything I needed to keep going. Before I knew it, I was on my last step up. I got up there and the place went wild. I started crying, I’m almost certain everyone was crying. It was an amazing feeling. But there was still time before the 13 min time cap was up. I got myself off the box, and busted out my 25 situps, and then hopped on the rower. Was this real life? Did I really have enough time left to be on the rower? It was nuts. I said to Andrea before my heat went up- “my goal is to just get one step up in the time cap. Just one and I’ll be happy.” And then I got 25, followed by 25 situps, followed by 22ish cals on the rower. Yes, I was the last one to finish, but you know what, who cares? I far surpassed my goal and it was awesome. The entire bare cove crew busted through the caution tape and hopped over rowers and we had an amazing group hug and cry. So many people came up to me after the wod and said that I was awesome and I made them cry. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do those step ups! But I’m glad to have inspired people along the way!  A lot of people, including Katherine, caught it on tape and posted it to facebook. There are so many likes and shares, I can’t even begin to count them. Then something really cool happened. Someone posted that video, and Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet, aka the fittest woman on earth reposted it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? And how could I forget this awesome bit- one of my coaches, Chris also works for Reebok, and gave Rich Froning AKA fittest man on earth 4 years in a row, my number and he SENT ME A TEXT MESSAGE congratulating me! I was shaking and freaking out- it was nuts.

Alex, me, and Mike! ❤

Actual text message from the champ!

Since yesterday’s video, I’ve received so many messages, texts, wall posts, etc from people from all over the country and the world. Complete strangers telling me that I inspired them. Me- the fat chick who crossfits inspired other people. It just doesn’t seem real. I’m so incredibly appreciative for every single person who was at the competition yesterday, as well as everyone who sent me a message or gave me a hug, etc. I am completely overwhelmed with love and happiness. Our community is the reason why our sport is the best. I am forever grateful for yesterday. I can’t even begin to describe everything I’m feeling. Just love!
But, I don’t want to overshadow everyone else from my box who competed yesterday too! Kate- my girl- it was her first comp too! You did so awesome, and I’m so glad you decided to sign up! Nina, Christy, Toni, Carol, Sadie, Katherine, Ali, & Nanette- you ladies are amazing. Such strong women, and incredibly role models. I aspire to be as strong as you some day. Scott G, Scott B, Brian, & Mike M- you guys are some seriously tough dudes. You all performed so well, and I’m glad to call you friends.

How could I forget the amazing bare cove supporters! Michelle- my number one fan- you are amazing and I can’t thank you enough for staying the whole day and cheering for each and every one of us. Chris, Sharon & the kids- You are truly an incredible family. Your kids are two of the most amazing children and I’m so glad you two decided to open up RCFBC. My life is completely changed because of you two. Chris- you don’t know how much you made my day by hooking it up with the Rich text. I’m still smiling! And yes, I promise I won’t text him or stalk him! haha. Elena & the girls, Sarah, Bob, Jami, Dan, Alex, Lauren, Kaylee, JD, Janine, Harrison, Mary Lenore, Phil, Hillary, & Hayden (and anyone else I may have forgotten)- Thank you. Just thank you so much. I can’t even begin to find the words to thank you. My life is infinitely better with all of you in it. Crossfit has completely changed my life, and yesterday’s support is what it’s all about. People helping people and respect. I’m completely overjoyed and bursting at the seems with happiness and love. Just a huge thank you to every one! If you need any more proof that crossfit is a cult- here it is. Yes we are a cult, and a pretty inspiring one at that. Much love to everyone. ❤

Thrusters….the struggle is real.

AMAZING. Love this so much.

Bare Cove team!!

Super strong Bare Cove ladies! ❤

Our crazy crew! xoxo

Simply the best feeling in the world.

Here are some links, in case you didn’t see the videos:
https://www.facebook.com/CFStrongWomen/posts/693070317447397?reply_comment_id=693232847431144&total_comments=2

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153223961881416&set=vb.577871415&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152205753491956&set=vb.514961955&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1498873233683142&set=p.1498873233683142&type=2&theater

I survived!!

Hi everyone!
What a week it has been! There is so much good stuff going on- it’s amazing! But before I get to this week, let me tell you about Friday and Saturday last week! Friday, July 4th, RCFBC had a great time participating in the Hingham Fourth of July parade! It was so awesome! We had the Bare Cove pick up truck filled with workout equipment (slam balls, kettlebells, plates, etc.). When I signed up for this parade, I thought we would just be walking and waving like the rest of the floats in the parade…I was wrong. Of course, Mike had us do movements during the parade route- in the middle of the streets. It was awesome. There was sled pushes, squats, burpees, push-ups, slam balls, & even handstand walks! Although the weather wasn’t ideal, we didn’t let it rain on our parade…literally! It was a good time with even better people!

Parade! ❤

The next day (Saturday) I hit a really big personal goal that I’ve been trying to get through for a while. Saturday’s wod was the following:
Teams of 4 – 15 min. AMRAP – 3 working, 1 resting, rotate whenever
Push Press (75/55)
Box Jumps (24/20)
OH Walking Lunges with Plate (45/35)

My teammates were amazing- Shaun, Christy, & Bob! I told them right off the bat, we weren’t going “win” this wod- I’m slow at all of these movements (except for the push press)! They were so cool, and are totally not competitive, so it made me feel better. We all know where I would run into problems- the box jumps or for me, the step ups. I made a promise to myself when I saw the wod, that I would at least try the 20in box (mostly because I have that competition coming up in August & they are part of  it) & because it’s a big mental hurdle I’ve been dealing with! I didn’t even setup a smaller box, because I knew I would give in to myself and go on it. I went the whole wod using the 20in box! I don’t even know how many I got, because we rotated the whole time, but I was so incredibly proud of myself for not giving up. I can’t say I’m completely over my fear, but this was a HUGE step! 

Now, on to Battle of the Sexes week 3. This was a crazy, fun one! It was a three part wod:

WOD 3 – Hamstring flexibility test – reach distance from end of feet
WOD 4 – Max time Bridge up- shoulders and bum must be off the ground
WOD 5 – Obstacle Course – each partner will get one run. Score is combined total of best times.

The hamstring flexibility test was reminiscent of the one that we used to do in school for the President’s fitness test! We did pretty well on that part! On the max time bridge up, I had to take a zero- I can’t get my shoulders off the ground, but I tried, and that’s all that matters. The obstacle course was so much fun! I couldn’t help but laugh the whole time, it took me 5 minutes to complete, and it took Colleen 2 minutes and change to finish. Not the best time, but we had fun! We are taking on Week 4 tomorrow- it should be interesting…10 rep max back squat, followed by a  10 min. AMRAP – 1 partner working at a time, switch when you want : 8 Ground to Overhead (115/75); 16 Box Jumps Overs (24/20). I can’t wait to see how we do! 

Now on to this past weekend. Oh my gosh, was it crazy! Our box and Crossfit Craic in Dedham participated in 24 hour row challenge to benefit Swim Across America & Cancer research! How it worked was you chose a time slot, and just hopped on the erg as long as you wanted, and then tapped out to another teammate when you were ready to switch. It was so much fun. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I decided to sign up for the whole night- like over night. After waking up at 4:30am and working a full day, I thought it would be a good idea to stay awake all night and row. Everyone who knows me- knows that I do not do well without sleep- I get angry. But for some reason, it wasn’t that bad. Maybe it was the skinny margaritas from the Red Parrot (we were setup in the parking lot of the Red Parrot, and they graciously kept the building open all night, so we could use the restrooms! Thank you so much Bea and Richard!!). On paper, it looked like we would be rowing a lot during the wee hours of the morning, but a lot more people showed up and stayed the night! We were going against Crossfit Craic to see who could row the most meters in the 24 hours. There were so many laughs- it was great. I got to see the most beautiful sunrise and spend some quality time with some people who are incredibly awesome. One of those people was Sarah or Sadie. She’s so amazing. She is a paramedic, mom, and all around great person. Her work ethic is in incredible. She had been at the even since noon and stayed until 7am the next day- and she did not skip a beat. Every time she got on that rower, she gave 100%- even though she had blisters on her heals and hands- it didn’t matter- she had a task and she finished it with max effort. I was completely in awe of her- such a beautiful, and strong woman, giving it her all. That’s who young women should be looking up to. 

I wish that I had kept track of how many meters I personally rowed, but that would’ve required math, and that’s not my strong suit on a good day! Hahaha. All I know is that I left in the morning with sore legs, hips, blisters on my hands, incredibly frizzy hair, dark circles under my eyes & memories that I will never forget! In the end, our team ended up with over 300,000 meters rowed…that’s a lot. I can’t wait to see how we do next year! 

Beautiful sunrise & amazing people!

Something really cool happened during the row. There was a woman, Jen who I became friends on facebook with through a mutual friend, because she does crossfit. I never met her in real life & I wasn’t even sure what box she went to. She happened to be at event supporting her friends who were there. She came up to me and introduced herself- and showed me a picture of herself from a few years ago. She looked completely different from the picture. She told me she had been following my story, and told me to never give up. I turned around and Sharon was there- she gave me a big hug and said to me “See- you never know who you’re inspiring.” It was such a great moment, I can’t explain it. It was just great- it gave me all the fuel I needed to keep going through the night! 

My next goal is to get back on my nutrition grind. I’m going to be starting a cleanse soon (thanks to the AWESOME Janine!) & I’m really excited to get a kick start and get myself back on track! 

I’m so happy to have found such happiness lately. While I still have bad days, the good days are outweighing them. I’m grateful to have found crossfit and amazing Bare Cove family. I just wonder where my mental status and body would’ve been- had I not found crossfit. I’m just so glad I made the decision to do this for myself. The rewards have been amazing. 

❤ AA

Change your attitude, and good things will happen!

Hey everyone! Hope you’re all well! My last blog post caused a few ripples in my life wave…to say the least! But if I didn’t put that stuff out there, I would be constantly carrying it around, and now that I said what I had to, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I can’t explain it- I just feel free! I’ve also learned a lot about myself in the past two weeks, which has been awesome.

I’ve learned that crying does not solve anything- it just causes you to feel worse; John Mayer writes some pretty depressing songs- Ke$ha does not; Some people that you thought were the real deal, are actually fake; You can become friends with people, no matter, age, race, gender, etc- as long as you share a common interest;  and I am so much stronger than I think.

That’s a lot of stuff to process. There are still going to be days where I cry and all I want to listen to is a stupid John Mayer song- and guess what? That’s okay. It’s okay to feel feelings and express them- just not all the time- I have to get that part together. I don’t think I’ve smiled as much as I have in the past week- for no reason at all- just because. It’s seriously the most amazing feeling. When I look back on all that I’ve accomplished and my life- things aren’t bad- AT ALL. Why am I just realizing this now? I don’t know- maybe I’ve grown a little in the past 2 weeks.

The amount of “fake” people in my life- in all aspects of my life (work, gym, home, etc.) are far less than the amount of real people I can count on. That’s pretty amazing. I know that if I’m going through something, I can talk it out with Elena or Mike; If I have a million questions concerning a certain wod, or about my progress in the gym, I can holla at Kaylee or Mike L (P.S- we have too many Mike’s at our box)!. If I come across something hilarious in my dating (non-existent) life- I can text Colleen M. and we’ll laugh about it. If I’m sad, happy, confused, or eating something delicious, I can share that with my best friend Laura and she’ll get it. If I want to hear the truth from a teenager’s (basically an adult) point of view, I’ll ask Rachel. Without crossfit and all of the bonds I’ve created with these people, I wouldn’t know what to do. I would still be that lost soul with no life direction, filled with complete sadness. I am forever grateful for the real people- my friends who only want the best for me; who wholeheartedly care for me and my well-being; who are willing to share good times and bad with me. It’s amazing.

I went to a church service today with Nicci and Michelle. It was my first Christian church service (I’ve been trying to find new ways to be at peace), and my Nonni would be so mad if she knew that I wasn’t going to a Catholic mass, but I’m trying new things and it really resonated with me. At the end of the service, the pastor invited people up to receive a blessing if you were feeling lost or carrying guilt- whatever your problem may be, he wanted us to just let it go and leave it up to God. I constantly carry guilt, and when I received that blessing, I almost felt like a weight was take off of my shoulders. I came to the realization that there are a lot of things that are well beyond my control. I can’t control how others are going to feel, I can only control how I respond to their feelings, and even then, it’s still not in my hands. I don’t want to get all religious on you- I’m not one of those people, but I do believe that there’s a higher power out there that has a plan for us- and now it’s time to see where this plan will take me. I’m not the best person out there- but I have a good heart- I know it. and I know good things will come when the time is right. Good things are already here! I have a crossfit family that I wouldn’t trade for anything, and a new zest for life that I never had before!

So this week has also been a pretty decent week for me (crossfit wise). The Battle of the Sexes at RCFBC has started and Colleen M and I are partners. I couldn’t think of a better person to have as my second half in this competition- she does need a little re-directing at times, but Colleen is my main chick. She’s strong as can be, yet incredibly humble. She never writes her name on the board, her makeup and hair are always perfect pre and post wod, and she’s an all around pretty decent human. The first two wods of the 5 week long competition were 7 min. for each partner to establish a 2RM Touch and Go C&J AND to accumulate as many burpees as possible. So while one person was trying to establish their 2 rep max clean and jerk, the other person was doing as many burpees as possible- Then you switched whenever in the 7 minutes. There was a lot of math involved, and we had to weight in- my biggest nightmare (I HATE THE SCALE!) but we put up some decent weight, for a couple of girls. I got up to 95lbs for 2 reps, and I hit 100lbs for 1 rep, but couldn’t get the second one. Colleen got 100lbs for 2 reps, and 105lbs for 1 rep (I think- might have been more, I can’t really remember!) and as a team, we accumulated 66 burpees. Not the best, but certainly not the worst! I think we did pretty well, at least I think it did- seeing that my last one rep max clean and jerk was at 90lbs! I can’t wait to see what next week brings- I’m actually getting pretty nervous- it’s the open all over again!! 

I just want to give a little shout out to the Saran’s who are leaving for California tomorrow. Dale- when I first met you in onramp, I thought to myself- who is this guy trying to give me tips? Isn’t he in onramp like me? Then I found out he was the head lawyer for all of CrossFit. Like the whole CROSSFIT name. You are amazing, and have done great things, and have raised a couple of beautiful, strong daughters that I’ve had the honor of having in my life. Thanks for that. 

Molly- You are truly an amazing woman. It takes a lot of guts to coach a class of adults while being a teenager (now adult!). You have such a kind heart, and you are truly a beautiful person- inside and out. You are going to do great things, and I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors! ❤

Rachel- I cannot even begin to explain the impact you’ve had on my life. You’ve taught me that it’s okay to be weird and not care about what other people think; it’s fine to send a text message that is approximately 2 full length pages long; But most of all, you’ve taught me to be comfortable in my own skin. I know that my life is significantly better by having you in it. You are truly a woman among girls- I wish I had the confidence and awesomeness that you radiate when I was your age. You are so strong- mentally and physically, and I’m going to miss seeing you at the box most afternoons, but I know you’re on to a new chapter in your life, and just like everything else, you’re going to rock it. I know I’ll be seeing your name soon in Carson! Don’t ever change- and don’t ever stop sending me hilarious snapchats and mile long text messages. I love you and already miss you like whoa. XOXO ❤

So now, I’m going to bed with a happy heart and feeling complete content. I may never have my ducks in a row, but who cares?  Things could be so much worse, and I’m completely grateful for all the good I have in my life right now.

-AA ❤

When your life plan veers off track…

Hi everyone! Hope you are all well! I’m doing okay…I think. haha. 

So things in my life have not been going according to plan. At least the plan that I had mapped out in my head. Anyone who knows me, is very aware that I hate being off route- I don’t like not having a plan, and flying by the seat of my pants. So when something happens that I don’t expect, it rattles me. A lot. I know I sound like a broken record, most of the time, and this post will probably be something that you’ve read before, but it’s just stuff I need to get off of my chest- and then maybe I’ll feel a little better!

At this point in my life, I imagined myself in my own home, with a husband (or serious significant other)- maybe with a kid. Instead, I’m living at home, with no significant others in sight- like no men in sight, and a ton of debt. Basically, the complete opposite of where I thought I would be. The last few weeks have been especially trying for me (it’s wedding season), and I just have this overall feeling of failure. I’ve been trying to focus on the positive things that I’ve accomplished in life, but somehow, it’s not enough. I just always feel like I’m in life limbo- nothing is that good, but nothing is that bad either. It’s weird, and I don’t like being at this point. I can put on a face wherever I am, but no one knows what happens when I drive home from work (hint: it’s crying to John Mayer alone- ha) or when I get home (hint: it’s still crying to John Mayer in bed- alone). I try to keep my positive outlook on things, but some days, I just don’t have it. And when people call me out on it, I don’t know what to do. I shouldn’t be sad about things- I have a job, a good family, my health, and friends; but it’s those other things I mentioned before that make me feel like I’m missing out. 

As long as I can remember, I’ve never quite fit in anywhere. In my family, I was always the one who sort of did her own thing- the lost cause- the one with all the problems. In school, I never had a definitive set of friends, and I never fit in with one particular clique- I sort of had friends every where- which is good in some ways, but now I just feel like I didn’t try hard enough- I wasn’t a nerd, but I also wasn’t stupid- I was just average. In college, I kept to myself- I didn’t have that college experience that most people had- I did my work, went to my internships, and that’s it. I never even went to one party in college! I didn’t start really coming out my shell until I joined CrossFit. And even now, through all of my struggle, and new found confidence, I still feel like I don’t belong. I over-compensate and try to make everyone happy, and in turn, I make myself feel worse. It’s a bad cycle. 

I’m there- I give my all during WODs, but most of the time I feel like I’m still so far behind where I should be at this point in my CF career. Everyone else is making great gains, and I’m here just still being average- or slightly below average. It’s frustrating. So then in turn, I self medicate with food, and it becomes a vicious cycle. I work so incredibly hard at the workouts, and then go home and eat shitty because I feel bad about myself. I will add in, I’m eating way better than I was pre-CF, but still, why am I doing this to myself? Thankfully, my amazing coach (and awesome girl-crush) Kaylee has been helping me get back on track. Food is my drug; It’s something that could kill me and also something I can’t live without. I guess I’m having a hard time finding that healthy balance. But I am working on it- it’s just going to take some time. 

As most of you know, I’ve been trying online dating for a while now. The reason I decided to share all of these private things with you, is because I had a moment while online that made me lose all faith in humanity. Now, I’ll warn you, this is pretty graphic- so if you don’t want to read it- stop here. haha. 

I had been talking to this guy for a while- just online- I gave him my number, but he never took the initiative to be a real man and call me. I didn’t think anything of it, I just figured it was a dumb guy being dumb. So we continued chatting online..for a long time. All of a sudden, out of no where, he asks me what my fetish was. Usually, I just block people when it gets to this point, but I decided to play along for a bit. You guys no me- my only fetish is a uniformed man- doesn’t matter what kind of uniform- hah. So then I asked him what his was, and here’s where it gets awful- He said he wanted me to pleasure him by wearing a big, black, strap on. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I just lost it. I blocked him, and deleted my account. And he wasn’t joking- just in case that’s what you’re thinking. All I could think of after that was- is that the kind of vibe I’m giving off? Someone who will do anything, just because I’m a larger lady and presumably easy? Well you know what, that’s completely wrong. I deserve the good things just like every other woman. I’m sick of scumbags, and losers, but I can’t get rid of them completely. Some of the most important people in my life would be labeled as a scumbag, in today’s society. Why can’t I get rid of them (him)? Because they (he) is one of my friends, and I care about them (him) immensely. And perhaps the most important reason is that I’m developing feelings for this “scumbag.” And I can’t because I just can’t. I’m not his type, he’s not my type, but there’s something that attracts me to this mess of a person. I feel confident that he’ll never see this, because naturally, I care more than he ever will- so he probably will never read this.

I know that it’s taking a risk, putting all of this stuff out there- I could lose one of the people in my life that I truly care about, even though it could be good for me. I’m just feeling lost. and I don’t know how to get myself back to a place where I’m that strong willed woman that I was a few months ago. I’ve been seeing a new therapist, and have been working through some of this stuff, so this was my way of bringing it into the light and stop tip-toeing around everything. 

I promise, next blog post will be 100% more positive- I’m done living with this pity party attitude. Time to woman up and get it together. I’m a good person, and I deserve the best and it’s time for me to start believing that. 

Thanks for letting me vent and get this off of my chest- sorry if I offended anyone with my gross online dating story, but it happened, and it definitely scarred me. 

I can’t thank you guys enough for your positive reinforcement and help over the past year and a half. I’m starting to make it out my shell, and I could not do it without the help of people like you all. Thank you will never be enough! ❤

❤ AA

Murph, Memorial Day, Regionals, and a bunch of other stuff!

Hi! Hope you are all well!
Things have been nuts the past few weeks. Sometimes I feel like my head is spinning- between work, crossfit, and my other extra curricular activities, I feel like I’m missing something or forgetting to do something! I guess that means I need to take a step back, and start writing things down!

Anyhow, a couple of weeks ago we had The “Murph” Challenge at our gym. Murph is a hero- here’s the description from Crossfit.com:
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it “Body Armor”. From here on it will be referred to as “Murph” in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.” 

After the final mile of “Murph” L-R  “THE MONARCHY (Mike, and Elena), Alisa, Me, Rose, and Lisa!

So yeah, it’s a pretty tough wod. I did it last year, but my wrist was broken, so everything was scaled- this year, I had to bring it! But everything was scaled again. Sometimes I feel like I’m not doing as much work as everyone else when I scale things, but that’s a personal issue that I have to learn to deal with. But, that’s neither here nor there. ANYWAY, it was awesome. We had a great turn out and helped raise over $8,000 for The New England Center for Homeless Veterans! That’s pretty awesome! They timed it a little differently this year. We had 10 minutes to complete the first mile- LOL never going to happen- I got 5 or 6 laps in out of 8. And then 40 minutes to finish everything else. (I knew I would never finish, but I still gave it my all). Not too bad, I just wish I could run like a runner, but I’m not one, so I guess that’s why- haha. For pull ups, the scaling option was jumping pull ups, push-ups from the knees, and there is no scaling option for the good ole’ squat! The second mile run, we had to go from the gym and run a mile (on a main road, with cars containing people) to the Hingham Shipyard. Wahlburger’s was a sponsor, so we got a burger and more importantly, a nice cold glass of water at the end. Running is one of my many goats. My lungs don’t like running, my body doesn’t like it, I just don’t like it. But I have to embrace it, because if something bad happens, I’m most likely going to have to run. With that being said, Alisa and I were starting our final run at the same time. At that stage of the game, I was spent, there was no way I was going to “run” aka slow jog anywhere after those squats. Alisa walk-ran the whole final mile with me. Even though she would finish way before me, if she just took off! I was glad to have her, but felt like I was holding her back. At that stage, I couldn’t even deal with anything, so I just did what I could. We came around the bend at the shipyard, and I could see bright orange shirts, and it was like a mirage! A Sharon Froio mirage- I knew I was almost there- so I stepped it up, and ran the rest of the way in! It was so awesome to finish and have someone to finish with. So thanks, Alisa- I probably would still be by the side of the road somewhere in Hingham, if it weren’t for your support!

That was the week before Memorial Day. On Memorial Day, we did probably the hardest WOD I’ve ever done, another hero WOD- “Adam Brown.” Again from Crossfit.com:
Two rounds for time of:
295 pound Deadlift, 24 reps
24 Box jumps, 24 inch box
24 Wallball shots, 20 pound ball
195 pound Bench press, 24 reps
24 Box jumps, 24 inch box
24 Wallball shots, 20 pound ball
145 pound Clean, 24 reps

Navy Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Lee Brown, 36, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, was killed on March 17th, 2010 in Komar Province, Afghanistan, in a battle against heavily armed militants. He is survived by his wife, Kelley, two children, Nathan and Savannah, and by his parents.

Once again, this had to be scaled- hello I can’t DL/press/clean that much weight, so I did the DL @ 115lbs, Bench Press and Clean @ 65lbs. And the box jumps were scaled to a medium box + 45lb plate step-ups. We had to share a bench press bar with a partner, so I was working with Janine. Janine is so awesome. Her and her husband, Scott are two of the nicest people ever! So glad that they are at our box! Anyhow, this WOD absolutely killed me. Every time I turned around I was doing wall balls- another nemesis of mine! I started a minute ahead of Janine, so there wouldn’t be a traffic jam at the bench press, but of course, wall balls take me FOREVER to do, so she lapped me! I was starting to feel defeated, but then I remembered, that it didn’t matter, and I was going to finish no matter what. Once it was over, I was smoked. Mike told me it was the best he’d ever seen me move in a WOD (that was pretty cool- sort of like being student of the day…LOL). I was hurting for a few days after that!

A couple of days later or the following week- I don’t know- the days sort of blend now- we had a wod that was just 7 minutes of burpees. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? We did a little strength work before, and I PR’d my strict press and split jerk, but I was not looking forward to 7 minutes of all burpees. Probably my worst nightmare. But, the wods that you don’t want to go to, are the ones that you should probably be at! So there I went- burpees for a whole 7 minutes. The average number of reps in the class was between 70-100. I only got 30, and I was dead. I felt sort of like a failure. In a whole 7 minutes, all I could manage was 30 burpees, and other people were getting 70 and feeling bad about that score. But as he was walking out, Jay (the Marine- the older guy that comes to the 5:30p class all the time) told me that I was his hero. A Marine told me, that I was his hero. How cool is that? I’ve never thought of myself as someone that other’s would look up to- I just do what I can, and that’s that. But I’m starting to feel okay about myself and how I do in WODs. I know I’m not at the level I want to be at yet, but I will get there one day!

With all that being said, I signed up for my first individual competition today- Obviously in the scaled division, but it will make me push myself to work harder and really work on some of my goats (AKA box step ups). I’m pretty excited/scared and proud all at the same time! That’s coming up in August, and it’s going to be awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regionals were this weekend! Hello, shirtless, sweaty, muscly men working out all day? SIGN ME UP! Seriously, these were the best athletes in the northeast region, and it was a pleasure to watch them throw down- both male and female! The atmosphere was so awesome- just so many muscles- everywhere- in the stands, at the booths, at the food trucks, it was crazy! Kaylee’s husband, JD, who works for Reebok and is also a coach for us and Reebok ONE, was a part of the RCF1 Team. That is pretty cool- when you know someone in real life who is competing. The ONE team did an excellent job, but sadly, they will not be going to the games this year. The weekend was still so awesome- hanging out with all crossfit people that get it and are pretty cool. Of course, I did take a photo with the cardboard cutout of Matt Fraser (the guy who one the regional) and asked the Progenex guy if I could have his poster of Dan Bailey (a super muscly, handsome crossfitter). Everyone laughs, but I would find a place for that!! haha

Me and my buddy, Alex! 🙂

Some of our awesome members!

me & cardboard Matt Fraser! ❤

Today (and yesterday) as usual, I’ve been getting some negative feedback from my parents, specifically my mother, because of how I choose to do crossfit activities over staying home. It doesn’t make sense. If I stayed home, she would ask me why I wasn’t going out- if I go out, I get yelled at for not being home. I just can’t keep it straight. I’ve touched on this before (See last week’s post) about how it sucks when friends and family members do not support your decision to make your life better via Crossfit. Yes, it is something that I enjoy, and talk about a lot, but is it my entire life? No. I have a lot of other things going on too, but for some reason, the thought of me being a part of the crossfit community doesn’t sit well with my family. You would think I joined the KKK or something like that. Yes, I enjoy watching youtube videos of Rich Froning and other athletes banging around weights. Yes, I like going to the box to workout and blow off some steam. Yes, I’m grateful for every one of the friendships I’ve made at the box. Yes, I’m happy that I am finally starting to feel comfortable in my own skin. Why do any of these things seem negative to my family? I can’t wrap my head around it. I’m glad that I have other people at the box to discuss these things with- it just seems like I’m always trying to look for acceptance from my family, but I’m having a hard time dealing with the fact that they are not going to support me in this endeavor of mine. My favorite part of “The Monarchy” (Sorry MM!!) Elena, just said to me “Your parents don’t have the solution, you do.” Like, she JUST wrote that to me. how fitting. So from now on, I will be the strong lady I know I can, and ignore the negativity. If people don’t want to accept me the way I am, then they can watch me leave.

My love, Rich doing work. ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Once again, I feel like I’m forgetting something, but I think that’s good enough for now. So grateful for my crossfit family and my ability to fight for my happiness. Enjoy your night! Thanks for reading! You guys and gals are the best! 🙂
<3- AA