Arrivederci, 2014!

Hi!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday- I know I did! Lots of time with family, lots of food, and lots of fun. However, I'll be happy to get back on my regular CF schedule after the new year! It's hard to believe in a couple of days we will be welcoming 2015. This year just flew by. It's hard for me to let go of this year- so many amazingly good things happened- but I know 2015 will be just as good, if not better! I thought I would use this post to try and sort out all the cool stuff that happened this past year- hopefully I don't get too emotional!!! 

*Celebrated my 1 year anniversary at RCFBC. I couldn't imagine working out at a different place. These people have become some of my best friends, and I'm incredibly grateful for the coaches & owners for making a difference everyday. 

*I stepped on a box for the first time since I broke my wrist. With the help of Mike, Elena, Olivia, & CiCi. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. <3

*Also- MET RICH FRONING!!!! How could I forget! I was fortunate to attend the KCECC and see some amazing athletes compete, and meet the love of my life, Rich! 

I just can't even...best day ever. 

*Participated in my second CrossFit games Open!
*Took home second place at the Annual Iceberg Classic rowing competition at RCFBC!
*Successfully got not one, but TWO DOUBLE UNDERS & was able to put a score in for the first Open workout!!
*Worked through a bad fear of overhead squats & got through a few reps for the Open workout
*Got my first wall walk, which turned into 12 wall walks that day!
*Got through 15 (!!!) 20in step ups during Open wod 14.3- Cried so much that day, but the tears were worth it. Still remember how awesome that day was.
*Took on 14.5- the absolute worst wod I've ever done in my life. It took me just under an hour to finish it, but I finished strong & surrounded by some of the best people ever. It was an amazing day to say the least!
*Participated in the Murph event at RCFBC. What an awesome day. So looking forward to next year's event!
*Signed up for my first ever CF competition!
*Was fortunate enough to go to the NorthEast Regionals at Reebok HQ & see some amazing athletes compete!!
*Participated in the Swim Across America 24hr rowing challenge at Nantasket Beach with the RCFBC  crew! So much fun/ so many laughs! Can't wait for next year!
*Participated in the Battle of The South Shore Boxes at CF781. That day forever changed my life & has changed me for the better. I watched the video again, and got chills. I love the CrossFit community more and more every day!
*Climbed to the top of Blue Hills!
*Signed up for my second CF competition!
*Barbells for Boobs competition at CrossFit Tolerance! First time being away from the comforts of the   South Shore! Best time with my girl Lenore! Came in 11th out of 13th in the scaled division!
*02X challenge! Didn't finish, but definitely was pushed way out of my comfort zone! Cannot wait to do this   next year & finish!!! Oh, and I got to meet Mat Fraser!!
*Started Olympic Lifting class!
*Participated in the Three Wise Men Tribute for Veteran's Day. Tough WOD, but it was for a good cause!
*Participated in my second Turkey Trot 5K! Shaved 3 minutes off of my time!
*Had my first public speaking event at Lowell General Hospital for my professional society. So scary, but  now I know I can do it!
* Had way too many PRs throughout the year to list! Stronger & happier! 

Wow. Seeing this all typed out is amazing. I'm crying- just in case you were wondering...haha. Seeing all of these accomplishments just makes me feel so happy. The next time I think I can't do something, I will look at this and prove myself wrong. 

This year has been nothing short of incredible. I've been through a lot- lost some old friends; made a lot of new friends, but never forgot where I started. I've cried, but laughed more; grew but stayed the same. I've stepped out my comfort zone more than once, and I'm happy I did. I am looking forward to the challenges that 2015 holds. One thing is certain, I will never stop making myself better & I will become the best version of myself.  

Thank you all for your continuous support & well wishes. It's one of the main things that keeps me going. You are only as strong as the people surrounding you. <3

Mike, Sharon, Chris, Kaylee, Lauren, JD, Eats, Ali, Sarah, Harrison & all the members at Reebok CrossFit Bare Cove- You are the most amazing group of people a girl could ask for. My life has changed because of you all. Thanks for always cheering me on when I'm on those last few reps, giving me a shoulder to cry on when I'm having a bad day, or laughing with me when I can't stop. I'm looking forward to the next year (s) with you guys!

14.3...tears & hugs...best day.

Love these ladies so much!

14.5- so many burpees!

Murph event with the best!

Regionals with my loves!

2nd Place in the iceberg challenge! 

24hr Row! 

Second competition away from home! 

I climbed up this!!

02X Challenge with this group of nuts!!  

Where my 02X journey finished! I made it up that whole way!!

   

Met Mat Fraser!! YESSS

Turkey Trot 2014! 

Veteran's Day and other things

Hello! Hope you are well!
November has been good to me so far. I've still been trying to wrap my head around the fact that I actually climbed up the mountain. I still have a hard time believing it. I would NEVER have even entertained that thought if someone asked me last year! It's so awesome! I'm actually looking forward to next year!

 Anyway, Veteran's Day just passed, and I was so glad that I was able to participate in the Three Wise Men Tribute WOD. It was a pretty tough wod, but it was for a good cause: "The Three Wise Men Veterans Day Tribute launched a national movement to bring communities together on Veterans Day to honor those who survived their combat experience but have come home and are struggling."  The veterans are very near and dear to my heart. If you're friends with me on facebook, you've read a lot of my stories! I have a soft spot for all service men and women, and I think it's important to honor them. Just because they come home from overseas, doesn't mean they can suddenly go back to normal. They need help. Next time you see a veteran (they don't have to be old) just say thank you- just that little bit of kindness and appreciation will mean so much. Okay, now that I got through my sappy part, here's the wod that we did:

“Jeremy”
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 4 minutes of:
5 Hang Squat Snatch (Elite = 185/125 lbs, RX = 135/95 lbs, Scaled = 95/65 lbs)
10 Burpees Over the Barbell
Rest 2 minutes, and then…
“Ben”
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 4 minutes of:
10 Power Cleans (Elite = 185/125 lbs, RX = 135/95 lbs, Scaled = 95/65 lbs)
20 Pull-Ups
Rest 2 minutes, and then…
“Beau”
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 4 minutes of:
15 Box Jump-Overs (Elite & RX = 24”/20”; Scaled – 24”/20” Step-Overs Allowed)
30 Wall Ball Shots (Elite & RX = 20/14 lbs; Scaled – 14/8 lbs)

That's a lot of stuff. I am the WORST at squat snatches. I can't get the coordination down. So Ali (one of our fabulous coaches) said that we could do a power snatch, and then squat down with the bar overhead. You would think with all of this olympic lifting work that I'm doing, that I would be a little bit better at this! It will come with practice I hope! This WOD went by so quick! Before you knew it, it was over! I was so happy to have brought some awareness to a great cause! 

Then on Thursday- I was reminded of how amazing the CrossFit community is (again). The WOD seemed to be do-able....on paper. It was:
Wall Balls  30 – 25 – 20 – 15 – 10 – 5
C2B Pull Ups 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5
Example….30 wall balls, 10 C2B, 25 wall balls, 9 C2b, etc.

AFTER we did front squat and strict press supersets. Let's chat about those supersets. I don't know what was going on with me, but I couldn't even get through 2 sets of either movement. I stink at front squats anyway, but it was exceptionally tough that day. Which was awesome, since we had a boat load of wall-balls to do. Sometimes you have a rough day- just gotta work through it! 

Anyhow, we moved on to the met-con. Wall balls are just the worst. I get gassed so fast (hello, "Karen" sucks). And pull ups I can't do yet, so I did ring rows. I always my community was amazing, but I was reminded again during this wod. I was of course the last person still working. We had a 15 min time cap, and I thought I would just time out. NOPE. I was in the last few sets, and I was fading. My friend Kate came over and told me to keep going. After that, I basically had the whole class surrounding me (again!). I didn't cry...that was a first haha, but instead I was incredibly humbled. It's these moments that make me realize how special the community is. These people, some of which I barely knew, came over to cheer me on. You really will never get that at Planet Fitness....just saying. You just don't know how much that support means to a person. I literally get no support at home...actually, I get negativity! So the support that people give me at the box, means even more. So thanks for that! 

This week, I was also interviewed by my friend Christine who is doing a paper on something (I can't remember, sorry!!!!!).  But being interviewed by her brought back some very important moments that I can't forget from the beginning of my story. When I walked into the first day of onramp, I was so scared and felt so out of place. It didn't matter. I couldn't jump off the ground; I couldn't do a push up; I couldn't jump rope; I could barely walk- never-mind run. And with all of those road blocks, my coaches stuck with me & believed in me. I still can't do a lot of things, but the things that I can do are amazing, considering where I was when I started. The other thing the interview made me realize is that a significant amount of my good friends are from CrossFit. I was never a good people person, so this is amazing. These people have been with me through everything, and I can't imagine my life without them. 

There's something that I've been thinking about all week. I was talking with someone who happened to be in the waiting room at work. We were talking about how the waiting room was empty, and the guy proceeded to say "Well the big lady that went before me isn't here anymore" It really irked me. He could've just said "the lady" "the woman" but no, he chose the words big lady. It's not like we have an influx of female patients- it just made me so mad. Is it really the worst thing to be big or fat? He wasn't a toothpick either. There are way worse things that a person can be besides fat...hello- murderer? rapist? mean? I just needed to get that off of my chest!! 

I was cleaning out my closet and organizing my shoes, and I stumbled across my very first pair of Nanos. I thought about getting rid of them, but I just couldn't. I wore those shoes through so many firsts, so many tears, and so many triumphs. So they are now proudly displayed on my new shoe rack! I don't know if I can ever get rid of them!! 

While I still have a long way to go, I'm proud of where I am right now. My biggest thing is being able to feel comfortable in my own skin. I'm not quite there yet, but I know I'm getting closer everyday. 

So now,  my next goal is the upcoming Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving day! Last year was my first time participating. I walked the whole way, and this year I'm hoping to run (jog....slowly) at least part of the way. After the 02X Challenge, anything will be easier! haha. I'm hoping it's not as cold as it was last year! 

XOXO

-AA

I climbed up a mountain....almost!

Hey everyone!
The past few weeks have been incredible! I've been really busy, but it's been amazing.
On October 12th, I competed at CrossFit Tolerance in Johnston, RI for Barbells for Boobs. It was amazing. This was my first competition outside the comforts of my South Shore area. The only person that was familiar to me was my girl, Lenore. She is a complete bad ass, and did the competition while almost 8 months pregnant!! It was her first competition & she came in 2nd in her division. What a rockstar! I was so glad she was there. I ended up PRing my squat clean by 15lbs & shaving 18 seconds off of my previous "Grace" time! It was so great. We had an awesome time, and it was all for a great cause. Huge shout out to Justin & everyone at CFT- you guys have an amazing box & community- thanks so much for hosting & having us!!

So then came the O2X challenge. The event that I've been stressing over for the past few months. I had been freaking out over this pretty much the whole time after I signed up. I still don't know what possessed me to sign up for it, but I did, and now I had to follow through. My stress level was at an all time high on Friday- while driving up to NH. There was a crazy amount of traffic- like way more than I was expecting. Damn leaf peepers! Luckily, I had a car full of funny ladies to keep me company! A ride that should've take us about 3 hours, ended up taking us about 4-5ish hours! We were hangry and tired. Yes, hangry. When we FINALLY got to the condo we were staying in (Huge thanks to the Valles family for having us all weekend!!), we had a few minutes, then had to turn around & get back in the car to make it to the fire side chat on Loon! The only reason why I went to that chat was because MAT FRASER WAS THERE. Who is Mat Fraser? He's only the second fittest man in the world, and was competing in the same race that I was doing- hello! So awesome!

One of my goals for the challenge was to get a selfie with Mat Fraser. Of course I succeeded with this. He's my fourth favorite male athlete..haha. He was very down to earth, and nice....and little- but super strong! What an excellent opportunity to meet such an amazing athlete, and share the field with him for this competition.

Mat Fraser & I!! 

My other goal for the challenge was to finish without sustaining a serious injury or dying on the mountain. Seems like it would be another easy take, right? Wrong. I obviously didn't die, and I didn't sustain injuries (physically) but I did sustain a pretty big blow to my ego. The start to the run was up part of a ski hill, down the same hill, on the pavement for a little bit, then on a trail. Starting out I was okay. It was a little slippery and my socks got wet almost instantly, but it was totally doable. Of course I was the last one, but I was fine with it. I knew I wasn't coming in first- this was a total personal challenge for me. It started out as a really nice hike. I can't believe I said that, but it was nice! I made it to this part in the challenge that was absolutely terrifying & it started to rain.  I started out having to get myself over this tall pipe in the ground- done. Then after that pipe is where all hell broke loose. We were in this very narrow, steep part of the woods. Before I knew it, the other heats were gaining on us. I hate holding people up, so I tried my best to get out of the way for the other crazies that were running! It was so scary in there. There was peat moss- I didn't even know that was really found outside- I thought that it was just sold at craft stores!! There were so many rocks, trees, and leaves. My foot got caught in some peat moss, and I freaked out. All I had to do was simply lift my foot up. But me being the drama queen that I am, lost it and started crying. Like, why would I ever think that crying would get my foot out? LOL. Then I saw the sign that said "You have risen 250ft." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I could have sworn we were already more than half way. So then I cried again because we were less than a quarter of the way done. All the people from the other heats were flying by me, and I was getting discouraged. Why would I think that I would ever be able to finish this? I wasn't like any of these other people. I'm not limber and I have no idea how to maneuver the outdoors. We were almost at the top of this part of the mountain. There was this guy (Brent) at the top that just kept yelling, "Come on CrossFit girl!" He was so nice, but all I could think was please be on your way- I do not need anyone else waiting for me or looking at me- I was a hot crying mess! Below us there was a guy sitting on a rock, eating a snack (Greg). He looked like one of the guys that was in our group, so I started yelling for him....it wasn't that guy, so now I looked like a crazy for sure! I tried to focus myself back on the task at hand. I was going to take a step, and my foot got stuck again, this time in a little hole in between rocks. I cried again. I could see Brent at the top, and now Greg was beside me. I could see the top, and it looked flat. All I had to do was get up there. Brent grabbed my hand, and helped me up over the last big rock. I was so happy to be on flat ground, so what do you do when you're happy? You cry! haha. We stopped to take a breather, and of course our new friends Greg and Brent stayed with us. I kept trying to tell them to go, that we were fine, and they just said no- they wanted to hang out with us. Greg gave us some energy chews- they could've been poison, and I would have still taken them!
We started again and came to the next hill. It was a ski hill. An actual ski hill...on Loon mountain. I looked up (not the best idea) and I just didn't know what to do. It was so high and the signs for the challenge seemed so far away. I would move a few steps, and then have to stop and catch my breath. This went on until we got about half way up the hill. I looked up again, and saw that the trail ended way further up than I thought originally. At that moment I completely lost it. I had a panic attack. I've never felt this way before. My heart was beating so fast, my breathing was short, and I couldn't catch my breath. I was lucky enough to have an EMT, a nurse, and a paramedic in my group. They tried to get me to calm down, but to no avail. Brent gave me some pedialyte that he had in his camelback. He told me it would replenish the electrolytes- once again, could've been poison haha. Once everyone realized that my breathing wasn't getting any better, Brent and Greg took off to find help. After what seemed like an hour, a medic on a four wheeler came to our location. Of course I was so embarrassed. Andrew the medic told me I was done for the day, and that they were going to get me back to base camp- all I had to do was make it up to where the four wheeler was parked. The only problem was that the four wheeler was so far away! We made it up there- it took a while, but we made it there. Once I got up there, I had to wait for a Gator to come and get me. What's a gator you ask? It's one of those carts that football or baseball players get carted off in when they get injured during a game. I was even more embarrassed than I was before. The ride down to the bottom of the mountain was more terrifying than anything I experienced on that mountain. I closed my eyes the whole time- I didn't want to know anything about this ride-I just wanted to get down without being in an accident! At the bottom of the mountain, after the 25 minute gator ride, there was an ambulance waiting- could things get  any more embarrassing??! I was feeling better & didn't want any care. So the ambulance just gave me a ride back to base camp. I broke my 28 year streak of never being in an ambulance that day! When I got back to base camp, the first person I saw was Phil. He came right down the hill and gave me a big hug. It was just what I needed after that ordeal. He told me everyone was waiting for me & to come in when I was ready. I pulled myself together, and made my way inside- I would have to face my fellow bare covers sooner or later. When I walked in the whole group clapped and got up to hug me. Of course I cried again. The love and support coming from that group was amazing. These people are the most amazing group of people that I have the pleasure of calling my friends. It's great. They are great.

Sadie, Me, Christy, and Toni. Love these ladies! <3

I have to give a huge, huge thank you to the ladies that stayed by my side the entire time I was on that mountain. Christy, Sadie, & Toni. You ladies literally pushed me up that mountain. Every time I wanted to quit- you told me that I was fine. You let me cry, you made me laugh, you gave me a hand to hold, a shoulder to grab on to, and all the love and support in the world. I would have never got to my ending point without you three. I am eternally grateful for everything you did for me that day. I will never forget that. Much love <3.

When all was said and done, I made it up about 644ft, a little over half way through the full course. I should be proud of that, seeing as it was my first time ever on a mountain! But I wasn't. I was disappointed in myself for not being able to finish, and I was mad that I couldn't get out of my  head. I let my emotions get the best of me. I was also upset because I thought that I let down one of my coaches, Mike M. He pushed me to do this challenge, and had no doubt in his mind that I would finish. When I didn't, the first thing I  thought was MM is going to be so upset. He was the second person I saw, and he was so happy that I got to the spot that I did. He was happy that I even signed up and showed up. It was then that I realized that I should be proud of what I've accomplished. If you asked me last year if I would sign up for anything like this, I would most certainly would've said no.

My ending point...not too shabby! 

I didn't get the fancy canteen that they gave finishers, or the awesome finish line photo, but I did get memories & pride from completing what I did. Next year I will finish- mark my words! The O2X was an amazing challenge, and is an experience I will carry with me forever. I learned that I'm stronger than I think, and I can get through a lot more than I give myself credit for. I just have to believe in myself a little more. Although I was embarrassed and disappointed at the time, I can now laugh about the experience, and learn from it. Yeah, I was the only person who had to get taken down, I was the only person without an actual finish, and I was the only person that cried at least 6 times on the mountain. But I had the courage to to sign up and show up, and that says a lot. Next year, I will cross that finish line, I'll earn that canteen and fancy picture, and I'll be happier than ever.

Now, I'm focusing on my Olympic lifting course & getting stronger! Thanks again for all the love and support!
XO- AA

Most thoughtful gift! 

P.S.- I got this amazing surprise shirt in the mail from the awesome people at Latitude Gear RX. It was so sweet, and thoughtful. Thanks again! I love it! <3

Starting line! 

Toni & I before takeoff! 

Sadie found a 4 leaf clover for me! 

<3

Love! <3

Love these people so much! Best community! <3

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/. DISCLAIMER** Sometimes the website displays my blogs, sometimes it doesn't- I have to figure out what's wrong with it!! ****

Have a wonderful week! XOXOXOXO - AA

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.  :)

-AA <3

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. <3

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! <3

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. <3

Thrusters....the struggle is real.

AMAZING. Love this so much.

Bare Cove team!!

Super strong Bare Cove ladies! <3

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