#VegLife

A year and a half ago when I was #paleoforlife I would have laughed at the thought of going vegetarian. I wasn't a hater but there was no way I was jumping on that bandwagon, all them veggies and no BACON? No thanks! Ha Ha Ha, never say never Sheri!
I am currently 8 weeks into the vegetarian (pescatarian) life. Yup, you heard me, I don't eat no meat. Everyone and their mother continues to lecture me about proper protein intake and weight gain. I don't care what "diet" you choose, there is always the opportunity to eat crap or eat in excess. Being a vegetarian doesn't mean I over indulge in bread, pasta, and sweets. I still am trying to eat clean. I have not gained any weight in the 8 weeks. (I haven't lost any weight either but I haven't been working out until recently.) I did not do this in an effort to lose weight. I literally woke up one day and was like, lets give it a go. I have no idea if it will be forever or temporary and right now I don't care.
I am not vegan as I still eat fish, a limited amount of dairy and eggs every once in a while.
The important thing is I feel good, and I think I'm starting to see some benefits from eliminating meat.

The movie Forks over Knives spoke volumes to me. Now I don't believe it's the end all be all, it's only one side of the spectrum, but it raises some good questions. As does Food Inc.

Forks over Knives

Food Inc.

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Finding balance

I think we all know what we need to do to be healthy. I mean it's not rocket science, you can't think eating junk all day and not being active is going to give the results you want. (Unless you're a freak with a super fast metabolism.) After regaining some of my weight I finally got to a place where I knew something needed to change. I felt lazy and sluggish all the time, because I was eating junk and not moving much. Thanks to the revamp of our garage I've been working out about 5 days a week. I'm way more active then I have been in a long time. And because it's all equipment I wanted for such a long time I'm excited to use it. No more dreading going to a super crowded gym, and only doing a half ass workout because it's so busy. So in that aspect I'm doing much better, I feel better.
The food part has yet to follow. Some days are great, I eat super clean and feel really lean. Other days I eat whatever I feel like eating. I guess I just haven't gotten to a point where I'm ready to really dedicate to my diet. Or maybe this time I don't feel the need to be so strict. I guess I'm just trying to find a balance right now. I haven't seen much weight loss on the scale and my clothes fit about the same, but I know I can't expect rapid results, nor can I expect a ton to happen if my eating habits are not that great. It is what it is, like I said it one of my very first blogs, it will always be a lifelong journey for me.

Do what you love

There are constantly infomercials on TV for the latest and greatest workout craze. Every day there seems to be something new, or something better. People looking to get fit often times don't know where to start because there's just so much out there, it's overwhelming. You constantly have people telling you do this not that or "my crossfit gym is better than your globo gym." People need to calm down. I have my own opinion about what I think is best, but living a fit life is something that should make you happy. You should look forward to your workouts, it should bring you pain and joy. If you feel best when you go to Zumba 5 times a week, then my goodness dance it up!
I love the Life as RX brand, I have some of their apparel but I am not a fan of this design...

If you are making an effort to work hard and be healthy then there is no "fail." If it makes you happy and gives you the results you are looking for it's a win. I personally love crossfit style workouts, I like lifting heavy and I like hiking/trail runs. Those things make me happy, I feel good when I finish one of those activities. And I'm aware that what I enjoy is not for everyone.
I didn't discover that I loved these things without first trying them. I tried something new. It can be terrifying but because I've been willing to try new things I've gotten to experience so much and truly know what it is I love. I encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone, to try something that might seem scary right now. I also encourage you to be confident in what it is you enjoy. Don't let anyone tell you that you should be doing something different or that what they do is better. That's just rude.

The highs and lows of the journey...

Spring is here and last weekend was pretty toasty. Steve came home from work on Saturday, looked at me and asked why I wasn't wearing shorts. Ready for my answer? "I don't have any that fit." UGH! Really Sheri?! I am kicking myself for pretty much having to start all over again. That was a low.  The amount of things that don't fit currently outweighs things that do.
Anyways, I'm really struggling this time around with changing my eating habits. It used to be so easy for me to say no to things, to pass up on the kids snacks. I was motivated to food prep and plan ahead. Now i'm just lazy, THAT has got to change. I see a major shopping trip in my near future. I'm even thinking of busting out the juicer I've had for a year and never taken out of the box.  I know what I have to do and I want to make it happen but there still seems to be some sort of disconnect between the two. I'm trying to be positive, I'm trying to remind myself that it's a process, but there are days that I just can't help but feel discouraged.

On the happy side of things, Steve and I are currently transforming our garage into a gym. We finally were able to splurge a little on something for ourselves. We'll be able to do quite a bit with what we just ordered. Once we have a squat rack and pull up bars it will pretty much be complete. We got it all set up last night, put some flooring down and got rid of some stuff we had been storing in the garage. I can't wait to workout in there tonight! I'm hoping doing something I enjoy will get me even more motivated to workout. And really what's my excuse gonna be now, that I don't want to walk to the garage? Haha.

Back in the swing of things, sort of.

Not being in the gym is one of the things that contributed to my steady weight gain. I blamed Steve's new work hours for no longer allowing me to do 5am workouts. But early morning are not the only time a person can workout and instead of making time I just kept up with the excuses. Part of getting back on track means adjusting my schedule to create time in the evenings to be in the gym. I'm happy to say that even with having the kids I've been able to get my workouts in this week and my food for the week has been much cleaner/healthier. Tuesday I ran 3 miles right after work. Wednesday and Thursday I headed to the gym around 7:30, once everyone was fed and dishes were done. It's not an ideal time, I mean who doesn't want to veg out after being at work all day and then doing the nightly routine at home? But my health and happiness are more important to me then the tv shows waiting for me on the dvr. The good news is I've seen the scale drop a few pounds. But my true indicator of change will be when my clothes start to fit better.

Getting back in to running has been quite interesting. As I'm out there, feet pounding hard on the pavement, feeling like I'm barely moving all I can think is, "how the heck did I run a half marathon?" This 3 mile loop I've been doing is kicking my butt. I spend the entire time trying to get in a groove, trying to settle in to a good stride, but it just doesn't happen. I struggle the entire time. But I tell myself it will get easier, the more I do it the more effortless it will become. Right?
That right there is what motivates me. Getting back in it and having the desire to improve.  Just a small taste has me wanting more.

Getting Fit...Again!

Things are about to get real, I'm about to be painfully honest with you. My blog seemed to be what really helped me keep on track during my weight loss journey. I had a way to keep myself accountable by sharing with my friends and fam. And then...I got lazy. I'm not going to make a list of excuses, I'm just gonna give it to you straight.

(Don't judge my cleanliness by the bathroom mirror, the kids can't seem to keep their hands off of it.)

2/25/14 Current weight: 145*GULP*
15 lb weight gain since last May

I can't even believe I have the courage to post this but I have to be honest with myself and with you! THIS is what lazy looks like. THIS is what complacency looks like. THIS is failure to prep, failure to dedicate precious time for MYSELF, failure to be committed. I feel like I totally failed myself. I have been struggling for several weeks now mentally, the weight gain is to the point where things don't fit, at all. I've had to buy a couple new pairs of pants and let me tell you, I am not happy they are a size 8. Everything I currently own is a 4/6 or a small and its all just sitting there in my closet looking sad and neglected. That is no winter fluff you see in the picture. And yoga pants and sweatshirts are the only things I truly feel comfortable wearing right now.

Now don't get all "but you're still beautiful" on me. I'm awesome no matter what, I know this. But I went through a pretty life changing journey a couple years ago and now here I am, all my hard work gone to waste. It makes me angry. I can't even comprehend how I let myself get so out of control. I don't even feel like "me" anymore. 

So what is the point of this post? To tell you that I messed up. I'm not happy. A change MUST be made and the blogging and the working out and the clean eating all start today. It's going to be really hard, the beginning is always the hardest part but I am not about to go out and buy new summer/spring clothes! I'm back!

My goal

Let's be honest...

With my wedding only 23 days away, one would think I must be in the gym every day killing myself. Truth is, I'm not. In fact I haven't stepped foot in the gym in over a week. And before that I was really only going 3-4 days a week and mostly doing cardio and not lifting :-(
I blame part of this on the fact that I've been busy and my schedule has been off. Steve was gone, I was gone, Steve's home and off work all week. Excuses I know, but the slightest bit of change easily throws me off my routine. I think the other part of this is that I got tired of doing the same 'ol thing every day. I've enjoyed staying up late and sleeping in, coming home and lounging. I know in the back of my mind that I will feel better each day if I was starting off with a workout but for some reason I just can't bring myself to do it. I'M LAZY.

Totally how I feel lately lol

Thank goodness I'm still aware of what I eat or else I probably wouldn't be able fit into any of my pants. Maybe that's another reason why I'm letting myself skip my daily sweat sessions, I know I'm not gaining any weight because I'm eating clean. But because my 9-5 consists of me sitting on my butt all day I know I need to be getting a workout in. So I've got to turn this car around. I have to find better ways to hold myself accountable, because the typical "it's almost swimsuit season" line isn't working for me. I follow a million inspirational/fitness people on Instagram and I scroll throw all their amazing pictures as I lay in bed drinking coffee haha! I need a push, and a big one!

The secret is, there are no secrets.

I think that most people initially have trouble with weight loss because they have this idea in their mind that there are all sorts of tricks and tips out there. They make it more complicated then it needs to be. They seek out weight loss "secrets" and quick fixes. Tips and tricks and fad diets just don't work in the long run. And you'll make yourself crazy by over thinking something that is truly simple. There are no secrets, there is only the hard truth. You need to throw away the junk food you keep in your house. You need to buy real foods, and you need to cook. And you need to MAKE time to workout. It is that simple.
It took me about 8 months to get to my goal weight in a healthy way. That's a pretty long time, BUT I've maintained my size. I didn't gain it all back like lots of people do who turn to crash dieting. If you're not willing to truly make a lifestyle change then it's just not gonna stick for you. You have to come to a point where you're done living unhealthily.

23 and 26

So life at InShape Suisun has been getting a little better. The employees don't seem to care about anything so I move equipment around all over the place to set up my own wod's. I think the morning regulars are used to me now and I'm not so crazy any longer. The only thing is that I somehow hurt my foot and as a result haven't been able to run. I got into a routine of running after my workouts and I'm not sure if I just over did it, if it was my shoes, or the fact that I'm running on a machine, but boy oh boy does it hurt. It's been a little over a week and it doesn't seem like it matters what type of shoes I wear, it only feels ok if I'm not walking on it. But I'm still working out, did the wod "Jackie" today 1000m row, 50 thrusters 45#, 30 pullups. Fun times ;-)

And this is totally random but why are brussels sprouts so hated? I have been terrified to try them for so long because I've never heard anything good said about them. But I made some last night and no joke, new favorite vegetable!

Oh, am I offending you by being awesome??

One of the reasons why CrossFit was no longer affordable was because I messed things up for myself back in August. At that time I thought I was going to leave CFS (because of the cost) and start working out at InShape near my house. So I signed up at InShape because those jerks promised me a good deal. Well then Steve and I talked and he told me I shouldn't leave CFS because I loved it so much. So there I was paying $135 a month and had one membership I wasn't even using. So that is how the InShape membership came about. If I had it my way I would have gone back to 24 once I left CFS. But once you sign a contract with InShape they have a death grip on you. It's convenient because it just around the corner from my house, and for the most part they have what I need to workout the way I want to. It has however been hard to adjust. No bumper plates, no letting weight drop, and I get some pretty funny looks. I go early morning, and am almost always the only female in the free weight area. I do thrusters, I squat, I clean & jerk, I get looks. I don't care, but I think it's kind of sad that men act so surprised to see a female lifting heavy weight. Oh sorry, I forgot I'm supposed to be on the elliptical! Some guy even had the nerve to ask me if I needed help re-racking my weight. I of course get offended and respond with, "I just pressed this over my head, I can handle putting it away." I'm sure "I've got it" would have done the trick, but I was irritated. 

Overall it's working out just fine, but I'm sort of the new freak in town.

Just like my way of working out is ever changing so is the way I eat. When I first started to lose weight all I did was cut out junk. Fast food, fried foods, sweets, pasta with gobs of cheese, but when I think about it I really didn't think a lot about nutrition and fueling my body. I just worried about what NOT to eat. Before I even started crossfitting I discovered paleo. At the time I was striving to eat clean, grains and dairy were still a part of my diet and I was at a standstill in the losing weight department. That is why I tried paleo. I did it to lose my last 10lbs. Then I started to learn more about it, I liked how it made me feel. I started to realize that most dairy made me sick and grains often left me feeling bloated. My body wasn't really a big fan of either thing and I had never put two and two together. Today I'm back to being mostly paleo. Every now and then I make brown rice or beans, but I still cook clean. I do what works best for me. But most importantly I have learned that my food needs to fuel my body. I need to eat to keep my body in the best shape possible. No matter how hard I train in the gym, If I'm not getting the right balance of what I need those hours will never show in my physique. There is no one diet fits all. You have got to learn what works well for you. And we have to stop looking at food as a treat and see it for what it really is, fuel. I'm not saying I don't indulge (because I DO), but like they say, "you can't out train a bad diet." It's great you joined a gym this year, but you won't see the results you want if you don't change your eating habits. And that doesn't mean stop eating McDonald's and start buying Lean Cuisine, there's no nutrition in those frozen meals. Cook real food.

This is the freezer at my work. Every day everyone is microwaving their frozen lunch. And I hate to break it to you but none of them are in good shape. Not having time for food prep is a bunch of bs, I know mothers of toddlers with jobs who cook every day.

Just a little progress pic, I've got some work to do.

"That one hour spent in the gym is important, but the key to seeing results is how you spend the rest of your 23."

ta ta for now :-(

These past 8 months at CrossFit Solano have been challenging, frustrating, empowering, uplifting, and expensive. lol. I am so glad that I made the decision to join CFS, I have learned so much and grown so much in my time there. So it is with lots of sadness that I have to say, I'm walking away. I'm hoping it will not be a permanent thing but for the time being I'm going to have to say goodbye. As much as I love it, it's just not in the budget anymore. I have to make a grown up decision to do what is best for right now.
As far as staying and shape and working out is concerned I'm not worried. I've done it all on my own before, with great success, and I know I can do it again. But the atmosphere and people of CFS is what will be hardest to be without. I have been coached, motivated, and befriended by some amazing people. I am so thankful for all of them.

2013 I'm so excited!

Ok yes I'm excited for 2013 but this is my recap of 2012. 2012 was one awesome year for me. All sorts of new fitness related ventures, and I got myself  a fiance in February. I started crossfitting in April, ran my first half marathon in June, participated in a crossfit charity event in October, and competed in my first crossfit competition in December. This past year my fitness goals changed drastically. For so long my goal was weight loss, that was always my reasoning for working out and eating clean. All I wanted was to be thin. The need to be skinny went away when I joined Crossfit Solano. My goal went from wanting to be skinny, to wanting to be strong. For months when I first started losing weight, I wanted to see parts of me get smaller and they did. But all that "feet together, thighs apart" "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" nonsense is complete horse sh*t (pardon my french). Images like this should NOT be on your inspiration board:

Forget that! My thighs touch and I can back squat 170#. Crossfit opened my eyes, it gave me direction, and drive. I was in a rut before I joined, and now I can't picture my life without it (yes it's that damn awesome). The end of 2012 sucked the life out of me, I mean almost literally, I was sick as hell. So I haven't been in the gym for quite some time, but I'm ready to get in there and set new goals for 2013. As of today I'm back on the paleo/clean eating band wagon and plan to stay pretty darn disciplined through the month of April. Once May rolls around I don't really care, I'll be married and allowed to get fat. Haha just kidding!! 

Bayside Beatdown

135lb deadlifts

35 lb Kettle bell swings

65 lb Cleans

65 lb Shoulder to Overhead

400m Run

55 lb Thruster

55 lb Sumo Deadlift High Pull

25 lb Weighted Sit ups

5 days...

When I was little I would get so excited about vacations and fun events that I would make myself sick. My excitement would turn into anxiety and I would be a big ball of nerves, sick & anxiously awaiting a trip to Santa Cruz. I'm an over thinker, I stress about things that are so teeny tiny. I let excitement turn into stress. We all have our down falls and that is definitely one of mine. So where am I going with this?
If you didn't already know, my first crossfit competition is this Saturday the 8th. The wod's (workouts) were announced yesterday afternoon and my excitement quickly turned to panic. I know physically I can do it. I'm confident and comfortable with all the movements. But I let the time caps totally throw me off. Seeing that there's a limit, a time to be under scared me. It's so silly. Because what each wod comes down to is giving 110% for a few minutes of work. I know I can do that.
Thank goodness a light bulb went on in my head this morning. I can't spend this whole week worrying about a time cap. I just need to be in the gym, practice, rest, and chill the heck out.

Regardless of my results the fact that I signed myself up for all of this is enough for me to be proud. I was so intimidated back in April when I started working out at CFS. Surrounded by so many amazing athletes and thinking jumping into a competition would never be something I was ready for. And here I am.
What an amazing journey these past 2 years have been. Size 12 Sheri had no confidence in herself. I would never have dreamed of something like this 2 years ago. This journey has been all about pushing myself out of my comfort zone, trying something new, embracing things I was afraid of. As I sit here and play it all back in my mind, I feel overwhelmingly happy. So thank you to everyone who has been in my corner cheering me on, thank you for your encouragement and your positive words. And of course, thank you to the haters...

Here are the workouts for Bayside Beatdown:

Scaled WOD #1:

8 kettlebell swings 35/53lbs

8 Deadlifts 185/135lbs

*4 rounds for time. 5 minute cap

NO dropping weights, 3 burpee penalty if you drop.

Scaled WOD#2:

As many reps as possible of:

3 minutes Burpee Broad jump, must start with burpee

2 minutes Cleans 95/65lbs, from the ground

1 minute Shoulder to overhead 95/65lbs

There is no rest between stations.  Burpee: Must touch your chest to the floor, hands behind starting line and clear the 4 foot jump with your feet. Clean: from the ground, must show control at the top. Shoulder to overhead: Must touch shoulders and lock out at the top.

Scaled WOD #3

400m Run

20 Thrusters 75/55lbs

20 Sumo Deadlift High Pull 75/55lbs

20 See the lights sit ups 25/35lbs

400m Run                                                

 *For time. 10 minute cap

And here are my heat times if you are free on Saturday and want to come watch!

Heat 9 - 9:10                      11:20                                   1:40

Dun Dun Dun...

Well I am less than two weeks away (11 days to be exact) from Hercules Bayside Beatdown aka my first crossfit competition. Heat times have been released and seeing my name on that list made it REAL. I'm now anxiously awaiting the release of the WOD's on Sunday. I spent all day yesterday beating myself up for how I spent Thanksgiving weekend (eating and not working out) but I'm back in the swing of things and I'm feeling pretty good in the gym. I've worried for weeks if I was truly ready to jump into this competition. But you know what, it is what it is. When I signed up for it I was doing it purely for the experience, a push out of my comfort zone, to try something new. And I have to remember that. Sure I want to do well but I'm also being realistic. I'm trying to focus on being excited about the experience, about moving forward in crossfit. I've been at CFS since April, I'm not great at every movement, I still hate getting upside down, and forward rolls scare me (LOL) but without a doubt I am stronger, I  am determined, and I am more confident.

Don't get me wrong, I'm scared shitless about this comp but I'm ready to get it done!

Crunch Time

Hercules Bayside Beatdown is getting closer and closer. I'm already starting to get nervous. I mean I'm nervous right before a wod on a daily basis, I can't imagine how I'm going to feel day of the competition. I haven't really been doing a ton of extra work in the gym, and I should probably step my game up in that regard. But I have been trying to push myself harder in the daily wods. Not letting the bar drop as soon as I feel a little pain or fatigued, but push through those moments. Run a little faster, less rest, heavier weight, even if it takes me longer. As much as my body needs to be stronger, my mind needs to be also. I don't always give myself enough credit and sometimes my mind gives up on me long before my body every would.

I'm glad I chose to compete, to put myself out there and be a little more involved. To give myself a goal to work towards. I'm going to have to push myself out of my comfort zone though, I'm going to have to give more these next few weeks than just an hour in the gym each day. Because I want to see myself succeed.

It's the little things that continue to encourage me to push harder. Example, last night I was pulling my hair back into a ponytail so my arms/shoulders were somewhat flexed and Steve said to me, "wow your shoulders are getting big." Best compliment ever! Lol. Its's true though, to be told I look/am strong, muscles are getting bigger, that pumps me up every time. It's crazy to see how my journey has changed over the last two years. My day 1 goal was to lose weight and be skinny. Now I just want to be strong.

"Why do you crossfit?"

One of the main reasons I was uninterested in crossfit before I joined was the cost. To me it was crazy to spend more than double what I was paying at 24 hour fitness. And for what? I had lost all of my weight on my own through home workouts and then at 24. I used youtube and the other online sources to educate myself on nutrition, exercises/movements, muscle gain, hiit cardio, you name it I read about it. I pride myself on that. I'm proud of taking the initiative and figuring it out on my own. The "I just don't know where to start" excuse is ridiculous, there is so much helpful information out there for you if you're willing to reach out and grab it. So here I was a crossfit skeptic, what could it do for me that I hadn't already done for myself? I had even educated myself on the paleo diet before ever hearing about it at through crossfit. I lifted heavy weights in the gym, I did cardio, how was it worth the cost?

To be honest you can't fully understand it until you try it. People can tell you all day long how great it is, but you won't understand what they are talking about until you step foot in a box. Until you do that first workout. Until you attend that first event. It's more than just the training, it's the atmosphere, the people, the coaches.
"How do you know someone does crossfit? You'll know because it's all they talk about." To an extent that is true, but when you do it you understand why. You're in awe of what your body is capable of. Like the fact that I can do pull ups, hand stands, back squat more than my body weight, hell yeah I'm gonna be excited and talk about it.

So what has Crossfit Solano done for me that 24 hour fitness didn't? It has pushed me further than I ever would have pushed myself. It has provided me with excellent coaches, with a group of like minded people who want to see me succeed. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone, made me stronger, made me faster, made me push harder and dig deeper. I feel like all around it has made me a better person. I feel lucky to call CFS my home, I feel lucky that there is such a great group of people there, that we have such motivating coaches. I'm glad I gave it all a chance. "

This is one of my coaches and bad ass athlete, Amber. Over head squatting 155  pounds!
One of the reasons to check out CFS, she's strong and no she's not "bulky"

Barbells for Boobs 10/15/12

THANK YOU!

HUGE thank you to everyone who made a donation and sponsored me in the Barbells for Boobs fundraiser. The event took place last night and I was so pleased with my results. The workout was 30 clean & jerks for time (from the ground to overhead), I finished in 4:08 using 75 lbs. In May I did this workout with the same weight and it took me 6:06, so huge improvement in time. Next time I hope to be able to do it with a heavier weight. I personally raised $240 online plus another $40 in checks so a total of $280. My gym altogether raised almost $4,000!

My shirt says, "Fight like a girl"

So now on to the next, my competition on Dec. 8th. Yes only, 7 weeks away! My goal is to really push myself in the gym these next 7 weeks and to also be doing extra work, not just daily wods. I want to start running more again and focus on doing my lifts correctly and to the best of my ability. 

I'm trying my hardest to be really conscious of what I'm eating right now and making sure I'm eating balanced/enough. I know that I can be stronger than where I am now, I just have to push myself. That's pretty much my goal these days, to just keep getting stonger, better, faster.

New Goals

A little over a month ago I was planning on walking away from crossfit. The time I've been at CFS has been amazing but I told myself that I needed to be saving and cutting back in areas that I could. I told myself that even though I loved crossfitting it would be something I would sacrifice for the time being. And then a couple weeks ago Steve texted me saying that I should stay. He told me that I shouldn't give up something that I loved so much. That spending that little extra a month was worth it because I was so happy. How awesome is that to have him be so encouraging about it?? I never WANTED to walk away from it, but I guess part of me was feeling guilty about the monthly cost. But sometimes when you're passionate about something, it's worth it.
So now I've gone from ending my crossfit membership to staying, and competing. Yup that's right, signed up for my first competition! Hercules Crossfit Bayside Beatdown. I really needed a way to push myself, I needed something extra to dig deep for. So now I have the next two months to seriously train before the event. I'm excited and nervous and ready to just start spending a lot of time in the gym. I let myself have my final cheats over the weekend and now it's on like donkey kong. My goal through this is to be in the gym at least 5 days a week. Sunday's to train specifically for the comp, add extra cardio throughout the week, eat paleo, and cut out alcohol.
I knew the competition would be a good way to push myself to where I want to be and posting my training goals will help keep me accountable.
I'm tired of just coasting along, eating good some days, eating like crap others, skipping the gym because I'm too lazy. I needed a push. So be prepared to follow along with me these next two months as I prepare...

Barbells for Boobs

Monday Oct. 15th CrossFit Solano will be hosting the event Barbells for Boobs. Barbells for Boobs is a non-profit breast cancer organization whose mission is to provide funding for qualified low-income and uninsured women and men who need screening and/or diagnostic procedures in the prevention of breast cancer. We will be doing a workout called "Grace", 30 clean and jerks for time.



The Goal of Barbells for Boobs: To provide funding to breast cancer centers globally through our Mammograms in Action grant program as a "last resort" resource for thousands of people who do not qualify for government funding or other charitable resources. Funding for screenings and diagnostic procedures is not only a necessity, but really does save lives.
Our mission is possible, our message is simple: Save a pair. Save a life.

This is a cause that is so close to my heart. I will be participating in this workout and ask that you take action by sponsoring me and making a donation to Barbells for Boobs at my donation page.

• 232,620 Cases of breast cancer detected in 2011
• 7% of women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40
• 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the US as of 2011

Barbells for Boobs work is focused on "filling the gap" in breast health care as a last resort funding resource for women and men who:

• Are symptomatic and don't meet the current requirements for age (typically under 40)
• Are unable to afford screening service, with or without insurance
• Don't qualify for government funding or other charitable programs

XXVI

I've been MIA from my blog for a while, guess I just haven't had much down time to bore you with my workouts. But since today is my birthday, I'll bless you with a little bday post. 25 was a really great year for me. I feel like I really started to understand who I am and why I am the way I am. Huh? But seriously, I really grew in a lot of ways this past year. Crossfit really pushed me. It helped me look for confidence from within myself, it connected me to an amazing group of people, and it has  allowed me to see myself in a whole new light.

25 also came with some bling. I'm lucky enough to currently be planning my wedding to my best friend. There are days that we laugh and talk about the craziest most random stuff, and I just think to myself, this man had to be put on this planet to be my husband.  

I can't help but look back and reflect and feel extremely blessed. Often times we focus so much on the negatives. We complain when we should be content. I'm so guilty of this. I look at others sometimes and think, how do they have it so good? But the truth is, we all have some sort of struggle. Sure I may not have the money to go on some extravagant vacation this year, and I may not be able to go shopping every weekend for the cutest clothes, but if those are the low's, then I have it pretty darn good.
I used to be so scared of getting older, but my early twenties 
can't even compare to how great the mid's are turning out to be.