Checking My Envy

So obviously I Crossfit, since that's most of what my limited blogs are about you should have figured that out by now.  I have found a great Crossfit box home here in CT and thank my lucky starts for them every day. While I typically go the morning WOD during the week I will randomly show up in the evenings and have been there the last few Saturdays for the Open workouts (more coming on that in the next blog) so I've gotten to see and work out with a good variety of the members.

I caught myself the other day thinking oh I want to be like so and so, or I wish I could do what so and so does.  In all honesty, I work out with a bunch of beasts (Crossfit talk for really amazing  and strong people), who come from all walks of life and who run the spectrum in age.  As I think of people I admire at CF 203 I think of this woman who's a mother of two and is just consistently performing at a high level and is on our Open leader board week after week and I think...I want to be like her.  Then I think of someone else who just makes toes to bar (and everything else I feel) look like the easiest thing in the world (it's not)..and go can I be like her instead?!

I caught myself having those thoughts more in the past week as I watch these AMAZING women but then caught myself and had to re-frame my thinking.  While I may not be the best Crossfitter in the world, I'm getting better and stronger every day, week and month I do it.  I  really shouldn't want to be someone else and really don't, I should be am happy with myself and what that looks like even if its a work in progress. It's great that I have these women to admire at the box but I sometimes have to have that check yourself minute and remind myself of my strengths.  While I can't do toes to bar...yet...I can dead lift 265 lbs, which as one of my friends told me she's not even close to doing!

Thanks to Mindy for these great photos!

New Lifestyle?

My life has been changed....for the better obviously.  I just finished a 6 week nutrition challenge at the Crossfit box where I live work out at.  It was fairly simple and straight forward, which I like.  It was a modified paleo diet (if you don't know what paleo is just Google it), which basically meant meat, vegetables and limited fruit.  Our rules modified it in that it allowed diary and did not allow ANY natural sugar (maple syrup, honey etc.).  It also limited alcohol to 1 glass of wine or 1 shot of tequila a WEEK (that was probably the hardest piece for most of us). You could score points for eating clean, getting to the gym 3 times a week, not drinking and then completing a challenge a week.

Through my brother and his lifestyle I've been subjected introduced to the paleo lifestyle, in a non pushy way of course.  I even got a Christmas present to read all about it, but never really wrapped my head around eating left over meat for breakfast, so I never really tried.  Besides I knew my weaknesses and knew that even though I was close to being paleo, I like

• chocolate
• to drink copious amounts of wine
• and I stress eat

Brother

Yes, I did read it

So I figured I'd do the challenge and I remember saying to John that my goal was 4 out of 7 food points the first week, well I surprised myself and got 6 that week.  During about week 2 I was sold on this, I had WAY more energy than ever before (never had the mid afternoon slump), I felt good and honestly the scale was dropping.  While I try to live my life only slightly by the number on the scale, after having done Crossfit for over a year and seeing my measurements change but not the scale I was a little disappointed.  I was keeping my expectations in check talking to people who had done challenges before and never lost a pound.

Well 6 weeks ended yesterday and I lost 3" between my waist and hips measurements and dropped 14 lbs!  If I wasn't sold before I am now!  We also did 2 WOD's at the start of the challenge and are currently re-doing them to compare results. I have to do the final one tomorrow, but from today I increased my ring rows by 16 and went up 15# in my squat clean.

While I know that I'll keep this new lifestyle, I also know that I'm not going to feel guilty when I eat or drink something that isn't paleo friendly as long I as do it in moderation. Besides I ate peanut butter cups yesterday and they gave me a headache!

Now off to have a glass of wine (red wine of course)

The Incident

So I've been sitting on this one for awhile, which seems to be the story of my blog posts.  In the meantime I also had to change phones so lost the pictures I wanted to share and haven't figured out how to get them back off the old phone yet.

Either way, I had an incident....one that I'm not proud of.  I now park in an underground parking garage and it has this huge concrete poles all over the place.  Well I pulled into the garage one day and wasn't going very fast (obviously) but must have been looking around the corner for a spot and cut the turn too close. Needless to say the concrete pole was no match for my little Sentra. 

So sad day when I dropped it at the body shop and they said it was done, they were right, I had destroyed the door so badly that the insurance company totaled the Sentra :-/  I'm still pretty bummed as the Sentra was the first car I ever bought, had been with me for 11 years and 2 major moves, first to VA and then back to her home in CT.

On the bright side, I didn't get hurt, no one else got hurt, but nothing like having to buy a new house and a car in the same summer right?!?!

One Year Crossfit Anniversary

So one year ago I had my first official WOD (workout of the day) at Crossfit 1st Due. I had finished my on-ramp or introduction classes and was released into what we at 1st Due referred to as "general population."  I knew from my first few on ramp classes that I was going to be addicted, I just don't think I realized how much Crossfit would change my life.

Some of my highlights from the last year:

• I lost 17.5" and counting from my body measurements
• My deadlift is up to 250 lbs.
• I hit a new split jerk PR last week at 105 lbs.
• I can front squat 120 lbs.
• I completed all 5 WOD's for the open, without scoring a 0 in any of them!
• I've completed WOD's with names like Fran, Christine, Grace, Kelly, Nancy to name a few
• CF has also opened a whole new language between my brother and I! You should check out his box (www.crossfitgenesis.com)

While there's lots that I still want to accomplish, I will always hold Crossfit 1st Due near and dear to my heart for really introducing me to crossfit and allowing me to spend LOTS of time both working out and just hanging out there over the 10 months I had them in my backyard.  I miss you all.  I'm looking forward to seeing more growth during my time at Crossfit 203

Summer of Transition

I've been thinking a lot about transition(s) lately.  Maybe because my life has been one major transition for the last 2+ months and I don't think I've slowed down enough to fully process them all.  I remember talking to a friend of mine, from an airport of course, about this move right before I made it and she said "you won't actually process it until August."  Well you know something it's August and I think it's all finally just hitting me. 

As I talk to all of my campus friends, they are gearing up for staff retreats, student leader trainings and most importantly the return of students.  While the return of students to campus will mean our office gets busier, it's a different kind of busy than I am used to.   There's no students just hanging out in my office, nor is there a couch, which means my fall will be different and I'm ok with that.

I've slowly settled into a new condo (after living with all my belongings in storage for 2 months) and figuring out what my life in CT looks like, with a commute longer than 1.5 miles and no longer having the Crossfit box 1 block from my house.  So far life in CT looks pretty promising both personally and professionally. 

I'm a home (condo) owner!
 

I'm still so thankful for my time in VA and there are things I miss (the 1.5 mile commute) along with things I don't miss (not having a million Dunkin Donuts nearby) but, overall this has been a "fairly smooth" transition. I just need to remember that I can't get everything done in a day and that eventually I will finish unpacking all of those boxes in the condo!

Changes

Wow it's been awhile since I posted, I guess it's time to get back on it.  Life is changing and quickly at that!  I have recently announced that I am leaving Longwood University to take a position with Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority (AEPhi).  While I am excited for the next step in my personal and professional journey but its going to be hard to leave this wonderful community.

My home for 6 years

As I think about my time here there are lots of great memories and like on all journeys some not so great memories but you gotta accept those too.  There are many things I am going to miss...very little traffic and a SHORT commute being two that I can think of as both of those are out of the window when I get back to CT, along with the friends that i have made here who have become like family to me. 

As I start my crazy transition to Danbury, CT and AEPhi I am looking forward to being able to get back to my fathers (and crazy nieces and nephews) more often.   I've even started planning an "aunt" weekend where I get to spoil the NY kids and send their parents away..win win!  

I believe that things happen for a reason and as I drove back from a board meeting to give notice the next day I saw this rainbow and I think it came at the exact moment I was questioning what I was about to launch myself into.

So bear with me as I make this transition and find a place to live along with getting settled around working and traveling (don't ask about the first six weeks).  Farmville and Longwood will always hold a special place in my heart for many reasons.  Also as a wise friend reminded me this weekend...don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened!

Making the Jump

Sorry it's been awhile...life got away, not really, let's just say I was out enjoying life.  While a recap would be fun, it would take way to long.  So the highlights since Thanksgiving....a week in Indy, Christmas parties galore (including the infamous Cedarpalooza), a trip to NY, 14 days in London, surviving the first six weeks of the semester and then another trip to Indy sums it up in a nutshell.  But on the to the real stuff.

This week I've struggled at Crossfit and it's frustrating.  This sign hangs at the door of Crossfit 1st Due when you walk in and I've had to be reminded of it a couple of times.  

There have been a couple of times this year that I have had to check myself.  I've had back issues recently which means that I have had to scale workouts or change out movements all together (which in my head reads: failure).  While I know that's not the case it's been hard.

Then this week happened.  Monday was a fairly simple WOD (workout of the day), some static holds....followed up by 1000 jump ropes.  sounds easy right?  Well the first 100+ were and then it went downhill.  Ultimately I gave up at 500+ and yes I use the word give up because I was SO frustrated that it wasn't worth the stress and anger that it was creating internally. 

Fast forward to Wednesday...I was SUPER excited about the WOD for some reason. Over head squats and burpee box jumps (google them), but then it started.  I felt (even today as I reflect) that I did not perform to my full ability. I had to drop weight on the squats because I almost dropped the bar on my head a couple of times.  I know I can do a higher weight in OHS (because I have before) but for some reason I just couldn't that night.  I've been told it was just a bad night and let it go, my brother even said that OHS are humbling and welcome to CF.  

I keep playing in my head over and over what went wrong and is there a way to fix it, was I protecting my back, am I getting weaker, was it just a bad night, was it all mental???  All of these things ran through my head.  I took a break last night and am hoping that I can will move forward tonight...hopefully without a meltdown this time.   


I guess I just have to keep making the jump. 

Hunt Camp

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week I got a chance to knock off an item from my 32 list.  I got to visit the Big Spring Hunt Camp or in my life the Jones family Hunt Camp ("camp").  I have been wanting to find some time to go to camp for awhile but honestly had some requirements in my head of who needed to be a part of the adventure. 

All the pieces fell into place for Thanksgiving which is the end of hunt week at camp and all of the people I wanted to be there, were there!  I had asked a lot of questions about what to expect from this place before I got there as I was envisioning no electricity, water etc.  I was pleasantly surprised by camp and really enjoyed just being able to hang out, drink and make fun of catch up with the family who was there.



sign at the entrance



Kay cabin and did I mention it was gorgeous

The best part was the fact that we still had the camp cook there so all our meals were cooked and cleaned up for us, including thanksgiving.  I think I am now spoiled as that was the way to do Thanksgiving!

the feast!

 

 

Little things

So the past week has been both exhausting and amazing.  Let's start with amazing.  Last Friday I had a chance to attend the Longwood Athletics Benefit Celebration which was a great excuse to get all dressed up and hang out in Richmond with lots of friends for the night.  I will also say that I'm feeling like the Crossfit is paying off (more later).  Overall the night was a blast and much needed.

Neil decide he wanted to come play &
he even wore appropriate Longwood colors!

the girls

As I left work last weekend I was already dreading how crazy this week was going to be and boy has it lived up to its promises.  After working for a bit Sunday morning and feeling like I'm at work early in the morning and at events until late in the evening a couple of days ago I saw a professor friend post this:

Wednesday near Farmville

An important milestone in my professional career... I've realized there is no such thing as "catching up" on work. Until today, I thought perhaps it was possible. I'm now abandoning that optimistic dream. Never. Going. To. Happen.

         With this as a response:

                  



 I have been living the expectation of "if I can just make it through this week, everything will be fine" fantasy. Of course, next week at this time I ill recite the same mantra!

How many times have we all felt like this?  I didn't necessarily like reading this but realized how true it is and how I just need to step back and do the best I can while enjoying the little things.  So in the last few days I've taken those moments to reflect on those little things, in no order:

• I work with some amazing students and one group  that sometimes gets a little less attention than others because they are so high functioning and amazing!  They know who they are.  I needed the reminder from an outside perspective to remember this but as long as I remember it right?
• That glass of wine at the end of a crazy day is a good thing
• Starting the day with a text and conversation from someone who makes you laugh!
• learning that with 10 weeks of Crossfit that I have lost 10.25" from my body measurements!
• A virtual apples to apples game that has been happening since mid-July and that made a come back this week and makes me laugh...alot!

So let's all celebrate those small things and realize that things are still going to be there tomorrow, next week, etc!

Apple Butter and Family

One of my favorite times of year is October, no not because of the weather, it's because it's Apple Butter weekend for my family.  I don't know where it came from but now every year my extended family gets together for our national holiday called Apple Butter.  The whole idea behind it is that we make apple butter, which is delicious and amazing and easy to make.  

This kettle makes 40 gallons of Apple Butter

I was extra excited this year because Dad came down from NY with some of the immediate family so it was nice to catch up with him! 

Dad got to join us this year

So besides the making of apple butter and cider it gives us all a chance to catch up, connect and sometimes to make fun of each other!  It seems that there is always a college football game that can stir up some drama rivalry and this year was no exception.  This was the year of WVU (where most of the family's loyalty lies) at Texas (where poor Vince went to school).  There was lots of prep work for the smack talking that started pre-weekend and continued throughout.

Hook 'Em got a present of a WVU shirt that Vince was not supporting

the game watchers

As usual this weekend did not disappoint, I enjoyed those who were there and we stop for a minute second to talk about those who were not in attendance.  I also got to fill up my friends here with fresh apple cider and I have my fresh stash of apple butter for the year.

All 40+ of us!

Crossfit and My Brother?

So I have an older brother (in case you didn't know) who's about 2 1/2 years older than me.  As in the case with most siblings we've had our ups and downs and went quite a few years talking only once every six months or so.  A few years ago that changed and he and I are very close now and we communicate fairly regularly...with him being on the west coast sometimes that's hard.

Isn't this a typical brother/sister pic? I don't trust him!

About 4ish years ago or so my brother started talking about this Crossfit stuff he was doing.  Let me mention that by education he is a computer engineer, but he started talking about this gym he was opening but it wasn't what I would be used to as compared to a 'regular' gym, it was a Crossfit gym so I couldn't walk in and jump on a treadmill.  So for a few years he busted his *ss working as an engineer and getting Crossfit Genesis started.  Then he took the plunge and decided he wanted to leave the computer job (I didn't understand what he did anyways) and give Crossfit his full attention.  While I've seen/heard his struggles through the past few years as he's done this, I've never been prouder as I see how happy this makes him.  

Check out his hard work!

I got to see Crossfit Genesis a couple of years ago when I went to visit him in Cali.  I didn't get the chance to try a workout though.  Little did big brother know I really wanted to have that experience, so I got really excited when earlier this month I heard that Crossfit 1st Due was opening here in Farmville.  

Where I'm spending my free time!

It's been two weeks since I have started and let me tell you I am addicted!  For people who don't believe that you can get a thorough workout done in only 15-20 minutes, let me tell you, you can!  There are times I don't think I can get through a work out but there are always people around to support me and encourage me through it.  It's becoming a great and very solid stress reliever and been a good excuse for me to walk out of work at 5pm to get to class. If you have a chance I highly recommend checking out a Crossfit near you.  Thanks brother for the introduction and the impact I don't think you realize you even had!

New Year

This time of year is always bittersweet for me.  Today marks the start of another academic year.  Campus during the summer is very quiet and there's a more relaxing pace of life happening.  For most of the summer that means no evening or weekend committments so very 9-5.  After awhile though I miss the students coming in and out and having those life conversations with them.

Longwood's Rotunda

A couple of weeks ago we welcomed our first group of early arrivals and today we welcome our first year students, the Class of 2016, crazy that by the time they graduate I will have been done for 15 years (I will always be a Hartford Hawk)!  So while my 9 to 5 is out the window I know I will settle back into the 'routine' of the year quickly. 

Welcome to Longwood...I hope your time as a Lancer is as great as mines been for the past 5 years!

Welcome to Longwood!

Living the Gypsy Life

After last summer I told myself I wouldn't travel as much and I would spend more time at home.  So when this spring rolled around and my summer leadership experience offers started rolling in I had a long internal conversation with myself and kept reminding myself of how tired I was last summer.  In my infinite wisdom I decided that putting both  leadership opportunities back to back were a good idea (with some vacation thrown in there of course).  Now here I sit 4.5 days removed from spending the last 17 days on the road.

While I won't bore you with specifics, here are some highlights, because yes I'm very excited about them!

First up was my first ever trip to Texas..San Antonio to be specific.  While getting to catch up and spend quality time with my good friend Rick was a highlight, so was seeing the Alamo and Riverwalk.

Remember the Alamo

Rick on the tour of the river.

So really the reason for this trip was some work with my wonderful sorority Phi Mu ahead of their convention.  While I couldn't stay for convention this year I have committed that I will be there in 2 years when convention is in Boca Raton!  If you ever get the chance to go to the JW Marriott resort in San Antonio though, do it, it was gorgeous!

my chapter's banner

From Texas I went straight to NY to Dad's house.  This was a short trip and really the reason for the trip was to run the Boilermaker 15K (9.3 miles).

It's been a few years since I've been to upstate NY in the summer...it's a much different place than in the winter!  I also got the pleasure of having lunch one day with all 5 of my nieces and nephews.  Lots of laughs and hugs there!

all 5 of my kiddos and a doll!

the two oldest Tebowing.

After a quick 36 hour trip stop at home I was off to Indiana to work with Triangle Fraternity.  One of the best parts of this leg of the trip was getting to see the beautiful Cara, well that and the other 10 new friends I've made, let's not talk about the ongoing group text message (game of Apples to Apples) that we've had running since!

Cara and I

I can't express how excited I was to head home last Sunday.  While it's been a blast, there's something to be said to sleep in your own bed and have a schedule of your own!

the road home

Beach Week

One of my favorite places to go is here...Emerald Isle, NC.

I've grown up going to this beach, more so now that I live in VA and only have to drive 4.5 hours to get there.  Well last week was beach week so basically I was in heaven and above was the view we had.  AMAZING!  


There was a fairly large group in for beach week this year, which made it fun and I don't think I had to be alone on the beach very much at all...or ever!  Finally on Friday we decided we should take the 4yo to the aquarium to see the penguins that were on display for the summer.  I do think penguins are adorable.

The poor guy up top though was molting so he was not playing nicely with the others and looked kind of awkward sitting up there.  I guess we all have those days right???


Right before vacation two exciting things happened. I hit my first 10lb down mark...clearly that didn't last with vacation but hey it was a stepping stone right?  Second my new running shoes came in the mail.  

Currently I am a loyal Asics fan and just keep buying the newer model of what I have, so these are my 2170.  Yes I even starting breaking them in over vacation and ran 3 times that week, including one hot and steamy 5.6 miles trip.  


And one more picture of my heaven.

Long time coming...

I feel like this post has been one that is a long time in the coming, or at least one that I've been thinking about, I even wrote it and then sat on it for 2 months before I actually posted it.  One of the main things I am tackling with this 32 list is getting my weight under control. I feel like I have always been the fat kid, I remember being overweight in middle school and while I played sports all through high school I also remember being bigger heavier (at least in my head because clearly I didn't get on a scale) than my friends.

 Adorable at age 4

and it begins...about age 11 or 6th grade

(I am sad to say that even then I was a size 14 pants)

Enter college...headed into my third year I dropped some weight, again scales weren't a part of my life so I don't know how much, but I didn't do it in a healthy way but used supplements, that were not as well known about as they are now and probably stayed at that size through graduation. 

Summer 2000, what I think of as my skinniest,

 maybe not the healthiest though

I feel like the harder life transition besides starting college, is the year or two after graduation, which is when I started putting weight back on.  I also diagnosed with low thyroid soon after college, which if you are familiar with involves weight gain and LOTS of sleeping. Lovely right?


I worked with a trainer for a few years while in CT and directly up until I moved to VA 5 years ago which is where I slowly started putting weight back on.  Boy do I miss her and I have not found a trainer I like as much since then!


Now I'm at that time in my life where I'm actively working towards losing weight, yes I know it's about how you feel, but honestly I don't feel good about myself right now.  I'm slowly getting there but there's still work to do.  In the bigger picture as I look to my future and know that I want kids to be a part of it, I know that I need to lose weight. 


Losing weight is something to struggle with, I know that for me to be successful I have to change eating habits, which I do really well for a day or two, then I slip fall off the wagon for a day.  I'm down about 8ish lbs, give or take and it's SLOW...I mean I seem to struggle with the same up 1 lb a week, then down the next.  I need to figure out what's going to work for me and stick with it. 


Ugh I'm over feeling like I will always be the fat kid in life............

Adventures in the Mid West

So life or really just work and festivities got in the way and delayed my wedding related post last week!  So as previously mentioned I spent the first weekend of May traveling to IL and MO to see a friend get married.  My friend Neil and I always have fun together but add in some travel and you know it's going to be good.  This trip proved to be nothing but entertaining.

Neil and I at the reception

After very little sleep we rolled out of bed and onto our plane(s) to St. Louis where we then drove to Waterloo, IL, the birth place of Neil, to spend approximately 27 hours hanging out with his parents and family.  Of course there's a winery about .2 miles from his house so we HAD to go, and being a beautiful day it was nice just to relax on the deck with a bottle or two.

Saturday morning dawned a GORGEOUS and warm hot morning so as we were on our way to get pedicures Neil commented on a dry patch on his arm.  I looked at it and commented that it probably wasn't a dry patch but looked like a bite of some sort, similar to what my spider bite had looked like years prior (see evidence below).

Notice how red it is?

So this set in a motion a quick trip to urgent care, who did confirm that it was a spider bite and ended in antibiotics, but that clearly wasn't going to stop the wedding fun.  

Our friend Erika and her husband Dan were married in a beautiful garden and we had a blast, as evidenced by how rough our travels were home Sunday morning!  All in all it was a wonderful trip and it was so much fun to be able to celebrate the bride and groom, they are one of those couples that you can just tell fit together and they seemed to have a blast at the event.

So yet again another fun filled and successful travel weekend with Neil!  Good thing our next trip doesn't involved planes, but it does involved driving and the beach....could be dangerous!