Long time coming

It has been a long time since I last wrote on this blog. A long long time. A little over 11 months to be exact. A lot has changed in my personal life, a lot has changed in my professional life, but most importantly, a lot has changed with me.  I don't even know how to start to catch anyone up on the whirlwind of the last 11 months. I guess I won't, well not yet.. It's not that I don't want too, I just don't think I am ready yet to go through those emotions again. Where I will start, is today, I will try to blog on here as often as I can, I can't promise everyday, but maybe if I promise you three times a week, I won't be disappointed if I only make it on here those three days, or if I make it more often, then I can feel like I succeeded at something.
Today...today is the last Sunday of September. I don't know about you, but I am not ready for September to be over. I am not ready for the hustle and bustle that is shortly behind it getting ready for the holiday season. I am not ready to embrace fall, because on its heels is winter. Yes, I LOVE winter, but I don't think I have recovered yet from last year, and from what I hear this year will be worse. But, what really concerns me is October. Yes, October. I know...it starts Wednesday, and that scares me. Why...well my first big CrossFit competition is on the 18th. I have 20 days to feel like I am ready, and right now I feel like I bit off more than I can chew. Am I scared, yes. More scared that I will disappoint myself and my daughter than anything else. I know that this competition won't be like anything else I have every done. I already feel that it is bigger than any race I ran...bigger than any exam I took. Why? Because I have only been at CrossFit Bane full time since the end of June. Only 3 months full time and I thought it would be a great idea to sign up for a competition. Am I crazy? Probably. I am throwing that in the mix of balancing a paleo eating challenge, getting my masters degree and being a single mom. I guess I like my plate super full. I also know that going to the gym has helped me deal with a lot of stress. I am thankful for the people friends I have made who I push myself against every day. I am thankful for the comradery that pushes me out of my comfort zone. I am thankful to those that believe in me, even when I don't believe in myself...but at the same time, I am afraid I will let these people down.
So today, today I went to open gym. Today I wanted to work on my back squat and try to get a PR. Try today was definitely the key word. But, I at least got my original PR. My right hip flexor is really tight. I felt it with every squat, so I was afraid to push it too hard and get hurt this close to a competition. But, I got 195 and was ok with it. Yes, ok. I took my daughter with me, and I didn't want to disappoint her, even though she was too busy checking out the gym to notice. Still, part of me never wants to disappoint her. After today, I decided that I like Sunday open gyms. That I will make Sundays apart of my training week, except that I will do what is prescribed and not what I want on my own. The workouts are made for a reason. I feel like as important as it was for me to try to PR on my back squat, maybe I should have done the conditioning work. No, I should have. But then I wouldn't have enjoyed my daughter's first time at the gym. Her first rope climb, her first ring swing. I wouldn't have enjoyed seeing her pick up the kettlebell and with excitement say that she is ready to join the gym. No, I don't regret doing my own thing, I just know what I need to do next time. I am ready to step it up to the next level (although I am not sure what that is yet). I am ready to get that scale to finally start to have a 1 as the first number and finally be out of the 200# range. I have lived here long enough. I am ready to be the best me I can. If you can't join me and support me, then I am sorry, this will be good-bye. I have enough going on in my life, I don't need your baggage too.
How are you stepping out of your comfort zone? What are you doing to be the best you you can? 

What I hate about the end of summer...

I hate that it is no longer light out late. I must not have noticed last week on vacation, but man, it seems to get dark out early. This didn't used to bother me, but now, I am irked. This week for boot camp I noticed there was more running. As a runner by choice, I am ecstatic. However, my work schedule and the earth's inability to stay light late is making me upset. I know that in 2 weeks my world will be a little better bc my work schedule is changing (7-3:30 as opposed to 9-7:30) in the meantime that means I have to break my bootcamp into 2 sessions, the videos in the am and then then running at night after work. Again, I don't really mind, except that means I HAVE to get up early to get it done which then means I HAVE to go to bed early in order to get up early. Guess that means I will be drinking coffee or tea or whatever is healthier. Trust me, I am not complaining bc I will now be able to do stuff after work, I am just reminding myself of the latter when I complain about getting up at 4 am to get half my workout done. 

Ah well. Today I was supposed to do arms (x2) a cardio circuit (x3) and then a 20 minute run. I got out of work late (as usual) and then the sky went black, so I knew a run wasn't going to happen. So, I did arms x2 and the cardio circuit x6. It's kinda funny actually. I just got finished texting Amanda about how the circuit went. I think the circuit was like 4 maybe 5 minutes and when I saw it I was like, yeah I got this. DON'T ever underestimate the power of a 4 minute cardio circuit. I didn't think sweat was that possible. But, I did what I could and I will probably be sore tomorrow. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Boot Camp

The last 6 weeks I have been doing an at home bootcamp by the amazing Amanda over at Fit Pregnancy and Parenting . I think I have tried every imagine able way to cross train, and being a working mom, getting out to the gym isn't always an option. Then, I found her. I have done my fair share of personal training in gyms, but there is something about Amanda that makes me keep coming back for more. Maybe it is her beauty, or the guest appearances by her children or the fact that her husband in on the World Wide Web in an entire spandex outfit. Whatever the reason, I do my best to make sure that I get my workout in. I actually feel bad when I don't get it in. In the last 6 weeks I have pushed myself harder in the crosstraining than I have before. I also learned that I need to get my workout done in the mining or t won't get done. Don't believe me, ask my family. I got up early on vacation almost every day to get my workout in before everyone woke up so that I wouldn't have to miss something on vacation. Did I always want too, no. Sometimes I did want to sleep in, but I always felt better after a bootcamp session.

Tomorrow starts the next 6 week bootcamp session. I plan to push myself harder this time than the last 6 weeks, but I am also going to try harder on the nutrition side. 

Did I lose weight or inches? I actually don't have data to tell you either way. I am sure that somewhere in this session I will be directed to take measurements. I am also going to try to not focus on the scale, although to keep it real, I will weigh myself tomorrow and then again in 6 weeks. I will try to post at least weekly with a summary of what I liked and didn't like about boot camp, a well as include a summary of time in boot and total calories spent. Why? It will probably only be to my benefit, but it will help me keep track of how hard I work in crosstraining. If you want to see daily reports (in case I don't get to post them here) make sure to find me on Instagram screen name newbieparunner.

So, if you are ready to try personal training in the comfort of your home, go pay Amanda's website a visit. Not only is she a great trainer, but her prices are reasonable and she has flexible payment options. What do you have to lose, but a few pounds?!?

Since I am blogging from my phone, I didn't know how to hyperlink her website, so I wrote it here: http://fitpregnancyandparenting.com/