Just a number?

The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it. 

284 months, 1,237 weeks, 8,656 days, 207,744 hours, 12,464,640 minutes, 747,878,458 seconds…

or 23 years old.

You would think this all would put it all in perspective… if only it were that simple. At minimum, 6 out of 7 days a week I wake up feeling like I’m 75 years old—-true story. I work hard like  a 45-year-old businessman, but yet I still haven’t had my mid-life crisis.

Despite all of that, I get reminded that I’m 23 years old. “You’re still young. You have so much time ahead of you. Be patient.” To me, it sounds like an excuse. An excuse to just go through the motions and settle for next year, or the year after.

Age might just be a number, and yes I am “just”  23 years old, but its a constant reminder of how much sooner I want to grasp that goal.

In the words of Drake,  ”I’m only getting older, so somebody should have told you…I’M ON ONE.”

Solo, son.

“You come into this world alone, and you leave this world alone.” 

My Dad likes to recite these words to me from time to time. As of lately I’ve truly learned that at the end of the day, its all you.  Life happens. Sometimes life lets you skim by, not really noticing you. Other times, life tests you to see what your worth, to see what your made of, to see what your purpose is here. Well, life is testing me. Its not necessarily a bad thing. Its definitely given me the push I need to realize what I’m capable of at this point in my life.

As of recently, I traveled to Miami to gain some invaluable experience and to get exposure. I spent three days traveling between Doral, Coral Gables, South Miami, and Brickell training and learning at four amazing CrossFit gyms. It was my first time in Miami by myself and thankfully I quickly learned that I was still comfortable in my own skin. The whole I am CrossFit team was so welcoming. My favorite part of the trip was training. I felt honored to train with a Games competitor, Larissa, Sergio her fiance (an Ironman), and Jose.  I did a total of 9 workouts in two and a half days.

Wednesday morning Jose picked me up from the airport and we went straight to Brickell to train. Brickell was probably my favorite box. It was out of the ordinary being in the financial district of Miami. My first workout in Miami with the crew was awesome. The L sit pull threws were definitely a struggle, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Wod 1

AMRAP 20 mins

3 wall climbs

10 Up and Downs

5 Pull Threws (L sits)

10 Grasshoppers

After the workout I watched the class train and then Jose dropped me off at the hotel for some down time before my next workout. For my second workout, I went to CrossFit Gables.

WOD 2–partner wod

4 mins Deadlifts (10 reps at a time @ 155lbs)

3 mins Deadlift holds

2 mins Air Squats (pistols)

1 mins Burpees

400m Run under 3 mins

4 minutes Burpees

3 minutes Air Squats

2 mins Deadlift Holds

1 min Deadlifts

The next morning Jose and I went back over to Brickell and completed three workouts for the morning.

WOD 3

400m Sprint w sandbag

21-15-9

Wall balls 14lbs

Butterfly Situps with weight

Box Jumps 24″

WOD 4

5 Rounds

10 Power Cleans @ 80lbs

10 Burpees

WOD 5

3 Rounds

200m Farmer Walks w kettlebells

1 min rest in between

Went back to the hotel  and tried to get loosened up and mentally prepared for boxing training I had later that night. I felt like I had been waiting and wishing for this moment for the past year, but it was up to me to capture it.  I had been training so hard and finally someone was taking notice.  I had no idea what to expect for the boxing training. (WOD 6) I had brought all my gear with me–mouthguard, gloves, wraps, boxing shoes, and head gear. I’m sure the security officers at the airport were thinking to themselves “is this girl serious?”…damn straight I am. I was prepared to spar. I figured they would have me spar with either a girl or a guy, but I was ready to prove something either way. It was a lot more lax than I expected. I got to mess around on the bags, shadowboxed in the ring, and then did a good amount of the work on the focus pads with one of the trainers. There is something about being in the ring. It gets my blood rushing. Without a doubt, being a fighter runs through my veins. The ring doesn’t allow for any bullshit; it requires complete self assurance and straight will power.

The next morning Jose picked me up again and we did three short workouts.

Wod 7

30-1   20-1   10-1

Power snatches

the 30, 20, 10 reps had to be unbroken. the 1′s were all maxes for that set. each set had to be heavier than the previous. Strength work is definitely my favorite by far. If my muscles would let me, I would lift all day.

Wod 8

21-30-15-30-9-30

Thrusters

Body Rows (laying on your back)

Wod 9

3o toes to bar

1000m Row for time

I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. I’m hoping to make it back down there during Thanksgiving and Christmas to do some training with them again.

I do have something to celebrate, my one year anniversary with CrossFit. Gotta love CrossFit-it doesn’t bullshit and its worth every minute, penny, drop of blood and sweat. When I train, I call bad, bad, quality, quality, and everything in between sub-par. When I train life happens, the difference is I have to confront my downfalls and improve, not hide them away for tomorrow. I train to be different. To stand out from the pack. To be an individual.  To go out swinging, not resting. To live valiantly, not cowardly.

….To stand alone and be completely comfortable with that.

Unscared

When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, that is when you will be successful. 

Someone once told me, “don’t be afraid of success.” I was confused. I wasn’t afraid of success I was afraid of failure. He told me that you fail everyday, people fail everyday. Instead, we are afraid to see our true potential, to find out what we are really capable of,  and to challenge the unknown. Well my new mindset is UNSCARED. I’m not going to fear success. Its going to be a constant struggle and I will have to be patient, but like I tell the athletes I train, “it about the journey, not the destination.” Once you reach the destination you will always strive for more. There are only limitations and boundaries if you create them for yourself.

 

Strength.

Strength (n.) : the quality or state of being strong; bodily or muscular power; vigor; mental power; courage.

My strength will be measured by the amount of weight I can place on a barbell, or the ability to not surrender in a fight. However, I believe in measuring inner strength. The strength we draw on that gives us the will to go on, continue to fight, and pursue the thing that gives our lives meaning. You can out train every athlete, be the strongest, most fit athlete, but its the athlete or person with inner strength and “heart” will conquer the impossible. My goal is to walk into the gym everyday like its my last– my last workout, my last opportunity to challenge myself, my last time to sweat my weaknesses away, my last time to give everything I have mentally, physically, and emotionally, the last time to humble myself.

When I started this blog, I thought that I would be writing this for myself as an outlet like I did when I was younger. I have tons of journals that I still have til this day that I used to write my thoughts or things that had happened throughout my life. I knew some of my closest friends and some of my family members would read it, but as I’ve continued to posts I have gained more followers. For you that know me, have never met me, or are getting to know me, my writing is the rawest, most vulnerable form of myself.

I dedicate this blog entry to my sisters, Delaney and Taylor. I draw my inner strength from them.  They give my life meaning. Someone once told me that the top three things in life health, family, and career, in that order. At first I didn’t understand why family wasn’t first, but if you don’t take care of yourself, how do you expect to take care of your family? If you aren’t strong physically, mentally, and emotionally, how can you be strong for your family? Thanks Taylor and Delaney for making me want to be  a stronger person in every aspect of my life–love you guys.

 

Sisu.

Sisu is a  Finnish word, which literally translates as…

Strength of will.

NOT surrendering.

NOT showing signs of weakness.

Determination.

Perseverance.

Acting rationally in the face of adversity.

Having guts.

Not having momentary courage, but having the ability to sustain courage against all odds.

That quitting is NOT an option.

If I place first, I’m first, if I place last, I’m last. It doesn’t matter, as long as I know that at the end of the day I’m a better athlete than I was when I walked in.  

The Dream.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.

 Click on the link below to watch what I’m working towards! Lets do work SON!

CrossFit Games

I’m still here.

It is shameful for the soul to quit when the body perseveres.

It has been a good minute since I’ve posted anything. I try not to force myself to write just because I want my posts to be meaningful to me and hopefully be sufficient for my readers. A lot has been going on lately. I finally graduated from the University of Georgia–whoop whoop! Always a good thing to have a bachelors degree under your belt. I got a great education, but I can’t lie I am so excited to be out of school. I am ready to start a new chapter of my life. Right now, I work part-time as a lab assistant at a genetics lab and part-time as an trainer at  gym called Xtreme Fit. Its the same gym I have been training at since August. I love my job as a trainer, I truly believe its my calling. I feel very blessed to love what I do. “A person who loves their job never works a day in their life.”

Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better.

If you have been keeping up with my blog you’ve probably already figured out that I’m the type of person that never stops dreaming. I’ve had people give me a hard time about always changing my dreams or goals, but I think thats what makes life exciting. I started this blog because my close friends wanted me to track my progress, give workout or diet advice, and keep them updated. December was the first time I posted with the intent of tracking my progress about becoming a IFBB Bikini Pro. Since December, I have gone from training for bikini competitions, to boxing, to MMA, and now the 2012 CrossFit Games. This blog is and will remain dedicated to boxing because although boxing doesn’t define who I am, it plays  a huge part of my life and what has shaped me into the person I am today. I titled this post “I’m still here,” because although I am not training with a boxing coach at the moment, no one can ever tell me that I sat around all day waiting for the opportunity to fall in my lap. Everyday I work towards being a better athlete by eating right, training hard, and staying mentally sound because I know there might be someone out there working harder than I do.

Yes, I live outside the NORM. 

I’m not like most girls my age, I never have been and probably never will be. While other people are out partying or sleeping in late, I am at the gym putting in work or preparing my meals for the week. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Its my medicine and as weird as it sounds I love being humbled every time I walk out of the gym. I know that there is nothing that I will face in all aspects of my life that will be harder than the work I put in at the gym. I also know that there is nothing I can’t handle or accomplish. So yes, my idea of a party involves a squat rack, if I am not up before 5:30 a.m. I am sleeping in late, and yes I’ll take a protein shake over a beer any day.

I am a CrossFit Woman
I do not wear makeup
I do not wear gloves
I do not do my hair
I do not ‘glisten’ or ‘glow’

I am a CrossFit Woman
I sweat
I grunt
I curse
I bleed

I am a CrossFit Woman
I will not shy away from failure
I will not hide my emotions
I will not quit
I will not hold back

Like I’ve mentioned before, I post words, pictures, videos, or people that inspire me or motivate me on my blog. The picture above is what currently drives and motivates me. It is a picture of CrossFit women competing in the CrossFit Games– the ultimate proving grounds of the world’s fittest athletes. If you don’t believe me, google or youtube CrossFit Games to see the workouts that these athletes compete in. My goal is to compete either in 2012 or 2013 in the CrossFit Games. I want to transform myself from being athletic to being an athlete. I love the lifestyle of CrossFit and have begun to truly embrace it. Being a CrossFit woman does not embody wearing a size 0, weighing under 130 lbs, or fitting the norm as a girl. Instead, being a CrossFit woman means deadlifting more than your own body weight, having callouses on your hands, being strong, and pretty much just kicking ass. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m okay with pushing the limits, living outside the norm, not being complacent, not making excuses.