Fit Mom's Blog

is now published on SocialMoms Network.

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Husband says, “A sedentary lifestlye perpetuautes itself” therefore, crossfit helps me better about myself. I feel like a younger version of myself.

Friend says, to get 1 pull-up.

Another one says, to just get to workout 3-5 times a week.

Another one says, to get a double under…

The list goes on and on…what’s mine? It changes every week!!!! This week it’s to get a muscle up, but in reality, after I get that muscle up, what will be next? I am NOT motivated to get 330 marathon I blew that chance with tendinitis in 2008, and I’ve never wanted to try that again. [To learn more about me and last marathon experience click here}. Since 2008, I’ve earned both a 200 hour yoga training certificate as well as a CrossFit Level 1 certificate. And, as of this writing, my only goals are to see small improvements in my lifts regularly. I don’t really have any long term “Pie in the Sky” goals, really. If I were to truly say something Out Loud, it would be to qualify for the women’s masters division in CrossFit in 2016, but, I’m not even sure that I want that. Right Now, tomorrow, I just want to be a happy mommy with energy to PLAY with My Kids outside everyday. Being the P.E. teacher that is my day job, I just want to sit at the end of the day. Which is kind of sad, I think. I want to have the energy to really play hard with my kids each and everyday. They will remember the play more than the “let me sit here, while you go play”.

As I close this post, I’d like to ask you, what truly motivates you? I can tell you that I get really excited with 5 pound PR’s. I get really excited when I hit a new plateau and when I have time, energy and motivation to ride for 2 hours and then plant new veggies with the boys as our afternoon activity.

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This Christmas, I only asked for one thing…that was the iPad2 and I am so thankful! Thank you, husband!! Anyway, I positively LOVE it and I’ve only had it like 3 days…so, this post will be a series of posts as I learn to use it more.

Number 1, iBooks. I can download as many sample books as I want. So, if you’re a nerd like me, then you know I’ve already downloaded 10 books–all related to my previous books for 2012 post and am working my way through the list. Very cool. The full price of the books seems to be a few dollars less than a paperback depending on what you want to read.  You can also download books via Amazon using a free Kindle app for iPads.

Number 2, You can manage your fitness progress by downloading a health and fitness app.  I like “TotalWOD CrossFit” and “One Rep Max Calculator”.

Number 3,  Emails are all in one place!  This is the best thing ever for me as with just one click I have all my email accounts open.

There are so many other cool aspects of this gadget I have yet to learn about!  Please share your favorite thing you use your iPad for??

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Thanks to an Amazon wish list, this item came free of shipping as a gift from my dad! Thanks, Dad.
Now, since this is a fitness gadget, it definitely has some relevance here as a product review. So, folks, just in case you were thinking of buying this pull-up bar that is under $100, here is my recommendation:

It’s a boy toy, first of all. There are over 70 reviews of this product on Amazon and not one of them is written by a woman that I could find. Most people are using it for P90X and few are using it for any crossfit style workout. Being that I am an avid crossfitter, the following is what you can do with the Stamina 1690.

You can do strict pull-ups.


You can work on the L-Hang.


You can do “knee ups” or dips using the bench dip bars- although it is really too wide for most women’s shoulders.


You can also work on Toes to Bars, Knees to Elbows and possibly chest to bar pull-ups- although, it is really not conducive to any kind of back swing and the foam on the top pullup bar prevents multiple hand positions. Also, for men above 185, I’d recommend some sand bags for the base of support!

All in all, it’s a good quality, easy to assemble pull-up bar that will get lots of use in my garage. Strict pull-ups are way harder than kipping ones anyway!

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Funny, heh?

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Personal Record{PR} versus Personal Best: Where should you put your energy?

You could get a PR in any event you do for the first time. That’s your PR, then, if you were to repeat that same event a month or six months later, it’s likely that you’d get a PR. Personally, I am always looking for a PR. Personal records are what keeps me accountable and motivated to keep coming back for more.

A personal best would be for (as far as I am concerned) an event that you don’t do weekly, monthly, but more likely one or twice in your lifetime. Like the time I hiked Mt. San Gorgornio with my dad in a day…that’s a personal best as I’ve not ever done it again.  Same as hiking Mt. Whitney (elevation of over 14,000) that was a one time deal- therefor it’ll be my personal best.

Pictured above is me.  Yes, me.  And, the weight over my head is 97 pounds in a full snatch landing.  That,  so far into my crossfit career is my Personal Best and it took me two years to get this far.  And, I’m proud of this.

Since, I’ve been doing crossfit for a while now, I’m always looking for a new PR and sometimes they take a LONG time to come.  My new outlook on this is just “5 pounds of progress”.  If I can set and attain measurable, reasonable bits of progress, I’ll remain motivated!  That’s the key to keep doing something right?  I’m already at a healthy weight and have my eating under control, so basic fitness goals are no longer there.  And, because I’m a bit of a nut, I’d like to see progress in my lifts particularly.    Being stronger, means that my competition days might be a little easier if I am strong enough to do the lifts well.  Being stronger means that I am getting stronger which means more muscle mass.  More muscle mass means I can eat more.  Being stronger means that I can lift and carry my kids across small streams on hikes.  Being stronger means that the big hills we climb on our bikes might be easier!   To me, this is the key!

How do you stay motivated during the holiday season?

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In case you didn’t know, I love Crossfit! For almost the last two years, I have completed a minimum of 5 crossfit workouts per week and my body has CHANGED. I went from a size 8 “healthy looking girl” to a size 2 very “muscular” mommy. My weight has fluctuated a total of 10 pounds, but, I’m settling at almost the same weight I started at around 140 for a 5’6″ female. No body believes how much I weigh when I tell them! I don’t remember the weights I was lifting when I started, but, I can tell you, it wasn’t much. My max clean and jerk is 130 and my Snatch is 97, which is NOT THAT bad for a girl my age!

What are the benefits of CrossFit, you might want to ask?

Improved strength, increased confidence, increased capacity for heavy loads over long or short periods of time. The best part of Crossfit is really the ability to go OUT and do adventurous things without too much extra stress- for example, a 2 hour bike ride or a 2 hour hike or an all day hike up a big mountain, or a even completing a six hour day of outdoor teaching and doing yoga (my day job) without feeling like I’m going to keel over at the end of the day.

What are my favorite parts of CrossFit?

I love the Olympic Lifts- particularly Cleans and Snatches. I have to say, though, that it took me almost 1.5 years of practice before I “mastered” them and I’m still no expert. These are hard as heck to perform correctly, and my coaches are still working with me on them. But, I love to practice them, I sneak extra practice in my garage and I secretly dream about lifting only someday!

What is the worst part about Crossfit?

Ok, this is very personal, but, I have a hard time when others beat me. I’m WAY too hard on myself and if I have an “off” day or if I just Stink on a particular day, I will feel bad about myself or repeat the workout later in my garage or work on the movement that I stank at later in the week. I don’t like to be beaten even if it’s by girls 15 years my junior, I just make myself practice more. Yes, I know this isn’t healthy and sometimes, I am little too obsessive about it. When this happens to me, I know I need to step back and go back to yoga and just CHILL out for a bit, life is too short to worry about crap like this. And, I do.

So, there you go! CrossFit in a nutshell, I hope you all can give it a try.

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Recently, I blogged, that I was on the fence about competing in the Next Level Invitational as I has a very hard time at the last one. It is still a costly, time away from the family event, but, I must be slightly crazy because I am training for it. Just last week, it was announced that Watt Bikes would be part of our next event, and that was ONE very cool light at the end of the tunnel for me, because I actually have experience with bike riding and happen to enjoy cycling. Not, that I am or was a pro at cycling or anything, but I do have significant cycling experience!! I was actually overjoyed when I was given this news!!

I won’t go into all my cycling history, but, lets just say that I have been cycling as long as I have been running and that time span is longer than 10 years!! It also makes me old (for a woman competitor) competing against girls half my age, but, because of my experience, I feel blessed with having years of competition under my belt. I mean, why should I at age 40, roll over and wait to get fat and old?! It’s a given, as we age, unless we drastically change our diets, will naturally gain weight. I can almost guarantee that I will still be competing in something when I’m 50 and hopefully even into the 60′s!! It keeps me YOUNG.

What about you, reader, what will you be doing when you’re 40, 50 or 60?! Will you be kicking a** and taking names like in a local 5km race, triathlon or a crossfit competition?! There is no time like the present to find something you love, and go do it.

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Currently, I am on the fence as to whether to compete or not in the Next Level Invitational coming up in November. Just two weeks ago, both my husband and I had the opportunity to compete together on the same day in the same crossfit competition, spend the day together and have two nights without our kids–all for the sake of competing.

Image Credit: Brittany Houston, CrossFit Unforgiven.

Rewind a bit on the last NLI competition:

Good- hanging with hubby all day, hanging with my CDR friends all day, competing {although not all that fun}, finishing at 15th with little to no sleep competing against girls half my age…
bad- rain, hail, lightning causing the events to be changed
ugly- my attitude can be in the toilet sometimes when it comes to big changes, lack of sleep, lack of confidence, negative thoughts running through my head, blah blah blah.

The Next Competition comes up on November 12th and I’m on the fence as to commit or not.

Anybody, want to chime in their opinion?
What it means between now and then is an even bigger time commitment for working out- possibly 1-2 days of double workouts, extra sleep, extra stress, time away from the kids, and an overall lack of motivation to be a good mommy when I should be XYZ (insert selfish thing like Epsom salt baths, recovery stretching, cooking and eating).
If I commit to it, I could potentially train for a top ten spot, zero prize money and a nice post-event party. What could I gain? Valuable competition experience that could come in handy if I were to be on another Regional Team. Strength and experience and an opportunity to improve my skills. Improve my overall ability to adapt and excel in any situation.

Side Note: When I was twenty I worked as a waitress in a hotel in Dallas. For some unknown reason, there was a plane delay that dropped 50+ people into our restaurant at 10 o’clock at night. All of the other waiters made them self scarce and left me to wait on all these people. I could have freaked out like they did and gone home, but, I didn’t. I stayed and ended up earning $100+ in tips and had a great time!! It’s all about the attitude.

Yes, even with this post, I’m still on the fence.  If I were to be honest, maybe my lack of motivation is fear that I’ll stink it up!

Thoughts, comments or suggestions?

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First, what is a Double Under? It is two spins of the rope for every one jump. Sounds easy, but, it isn’t. I’ve been practicing these since November of 2009, and although, I can do them…they are NOT very good. I jump too high and exert too much energy getting them done which results in exploding heart values and tired quads in a hurry!

Check out those high jumps! And, yes, the hair is ridiculous, I know.

A. 6 inches of the ground
B. 4 inches of the ground
C. 1 foot off the ground

The answer is 4-6 inches of the ground, or as little as possible!!

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