"We can't escape pain; We can't escape the essential nature of our lives.  But we do have a choice.  We can give in and relent, or we can fight, persevere, and create a life worth living, a noble life.  Pain is a fact; Our evaluation of it is a choice." - Jacob Held


Today's Workout:

WARM-UP

Jog 1 mile
10 pushups/pullups/squats/dips
30 situps
4 Turkish Getups (53#)
4 man-makers with side plank (2- 15# dumbbells)
20 Handstand pushups

SKILLS

PVC/ Bar/ 50#

5 overhead squats
5 snatch press
5 snatch balance
5 hang snatch

Full snatch: 3 each (60#/70#/80#)


TIMED WORKOUT

30 pull-ups

then:

5 rounds

5 snatches (60#)
run 200m

then:

30 pull-ups

FINISH WITH YOGA AND 2:00 PLANK

     For most of us, spring signifies a time of rebirth.  The dying and gloomy days of winter bring emotion and reflection to our souls, preparing us for change, and a new outlook toward growth and rejuvenation for the year ahead.  We clear out our houses and minds of unwanted clutter, and fill them with goals and aspirations for the future.  Spring is a time for clarity and optimism.  However, for those with seasonal allergies, spring can be anything but clear.  Instead, we are clogged with mucus and plagued with chronic fatigue that can drain us of our life-force. 
     Three years ago, my husband, two children and myself were among those suffering.  My husband and teenager were on the extreme end, with debilitating tree pollen allergies that kept them fearful of the outdoors for 3 months of the year, or relying on nasal sterols for relief.  My younger son would suffocate with lung mucus, dependent on steroid inhalers until the season passed.  My own seasonal allergies were mild in comparison, but a dusty room could send me on a sneezing and itching rampage for hours.
     After beginning the Paleo diet, we were filled with a new sense of hope and control over our health.  I had long been intrigued with the power of food and nutrition, and its role in governing the inner-workings of our bodies and minds, but to physically see such powerful results in such a short period of time was an awakening.  You truly ARE what you eat, and making the wrong choices will, over time, wreak havoc on every aspect of your being.  With that in mind, I came to understand that this same concept outlines the pathway back to optimal health as well. And so began my journey.
     From what I have come to understand, allergies, whether food or seasonal, are responses from an over-active immune system.  The more bogged down and drained our immune system is, the less power it has to effectively deal with outside influences, and the more reactive it will be to these harmless particles. So the big question is:  What is bogging down our immune systems?
    Although each of us may have unique and differing factors affecting our bodies, there are some that are nearly universal. Stress, poor sleep patterns and lack of sunshine are a few of the more obvious.  However, most of us fail to recognize the fact that our digestive system, constantly bogged down with poor digestion, inflammation, and toxins, will utilize the bulk of our immune energy.  New research is also finding that the microbial populations residing within our gut have the most profound influence, not only on our digestion, but on our immune system as a whole.  This is unfortunate for many of us Americans who have grown up on undernourished, chemical-laden diets, medications, bouts of antibiotics, and fanatically sterilized environments. Most of our guts are full of pathogenic bacteria, parasites and fungus, and increasingly depleted of the beneficial bacteria which play such an important role in our health.  This in turn leads to sluggish digestion and inflammation which can set off a chain of health and immune problems.  Although medications may alleviate our symptoms, the true path to curing these issues lies in a complete internal make-over; one that involves both physical and mental cleansing, healing, relaxing, and stimulating.
     I will blog about our own journey regularly, with hopes of inspiring any readers out there to begin their own.  For me, it has been three years of research, trial and error, and more research, coated with frustration, failure, and the strength to endure. But I am thrilled to announce that our seasonal allergies, which were reduced to mild as of last year, are now non-existent! I look forward to the changes another year will bring us!
      
    
    
    

        I had the pleasure of completing today's workout with a couple of amazing women.  When I first discovered Crossfit three years ago, these were the women who, without hesitation, jumped aboard the crazy train with me full force.  We charged through rain, heat, frost, and high wind, through penetrating sunshine, and pitch-black darkness. On any given day, our shins were bruised, palms blistered, elbows scratched, backs lashed with whip-marks, and impressive patches of skin removed from our tailbones.  We vanquished our bodies on asphalt with old basketballs and duffel bags full of sand. We hauled weight plates out to parking garages, leapfrogging flights of stairs or sprinting up the roadways. We trekked out to schools at 5:00am on cold winter mornings, to perform pull-ups, on bars that were frozen with ice. These are among the toughest women I have ever met.
     Today's workout was a reunion WOD, as we have been traveling our separate paths for the past two years.  Mother nature was smiling upon us today, providing a beautiful rain, reminiscent of old times. So, of course, I was compelled to design accordingly. After all, you can't have a good rainy day workout without throwing yourself down on the wet asphalt for a healthy dose of burpees... :)
    

     "There's a saying: "You never hear a barefoot runner coming." That's because a barefoot runner lands on the ball of the foot with a bent knee. Muscle elasticity is utilized with each stride and the runner lands as softly as possible to reduce the impact on his foot and leg. The result: absolute silence in his approach. Poor running mechanics can often be heard as well as seen. If you are landing with a loud clunk, you're probably landing with your heel or midfoot and not using muscle elasticity. Sometimes trying to run as quietly as possible will yield a soft, fast, and efficient stride." - Brian Mackenzie (author of Power, Speed, Endurance)



Today's workout:

run a 5k

Finish with the 26 poses of Bikram-style yoga.

     Following Paleo as a lifestyle means more than just staying within the recommended foods.  It is about finding balance within the prime energy components (fat, carbohydrate, and protein), in order to optimize digestion, reduce excess carbohydrate load on the body, and maximize usable energy sources throughout the day.  In addition, Paleo helps to restore proper nutrition, regulate acidity levels, and reduce inflammation throughout the body.  It is not surprising that this diet has become somewhat of a "cure-all" for a vast majority of ailments.  In fact, my husband was able to discard his diabetes medication within the first 2 weeks, and 3 years later is still boasting perfect blood-sugar levels.  It has been an amazing health find for our entire family.

    The foods included in Paleo are basically the things that our caveman ancestors could have eaten:  Unprocessed meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and small amounts of natural sweeteners such as honey.  Ideally, we want to try to attain a calorie balance of 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrate.  I don't weigh and measure, but someone just starting out may find it helpful to gain an understanding of foods and serving sizes. Or to make it easy, just fill up your plate with vegetables, add about a fist-full of meat, and make sure there is a fat source in there somewhere. Once you get the hang of it, you will learn to feel out the individual needs of your own body, and make adjustments accordingly. 



Fried eggs, sautéed summer squash, radish sprouts, and avocado

Paleo includes:

Protein sources:  meat, poultry, fish, and egg

Carbohydrate sources:  all vegetables and fruit (excluding corn, soybean, and potatoes) The ideal emphasis should be on leafy greens, and less on fruit and starchy vegetables such as winter squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots.

Fat sources:  Vegetable and nut oils (excluding soybean or corn), avocado, coconut, nuts, and bacon





"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost." - J.R.R. Tolkien


Today's Workout

WARM-UP

Run 1 mile
20 pushups/squats/dips
Max strict pullups
10 Turkish get-ups (44#)

With a single 20# kettlebell, first with the left hand, then the right:

10 snatches
10 one-handed swings
10 overhead squats
10 push-press

WORKOUT

"The Filthy Fifty"

50 box jumps (16")
50 jumping pullups
50 kb swings (26#)
50 walking lunges
50 knees to elbows
50 push press (30#)
50 good mornings (30#)
50 wallball shots (14#)
50 burpees
50 double unders

"I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self." - Aristotle


Today's Workout

WARM-UP

Run 2 miles
25 walking lunges
25 pushups
25 toes to bar
25 double unders
Max strict pullups
2 max sets deficit pushups (hands on 2 stacked 25# plates)
2 max sets ring dips

SKILLS

1 minute wall handstand
Max handstand pushups
5 pullovers
5 bar skin-the-cats
Max parallette hand-stand pushups
L-hold/press/headstand on rings
3 max back-levers

TIMED WORKOUT

"Annie"

50-40-30-20-10

Double Unders
Situps


FINISH WITH 2:30 PLANK/ YOGA

    Some people go through life governed by logic.  Their passions are constantly being weighed and measured through analysis and realism.  What do I want?  How do I get there?  What are the possible outcomes?  Does this make sense? Their journey is steady and smooth.  For myself, life is a series of extremes.  The voice within that whispers when all else is quiet will persistently beckon until I react in one path-changing swoop, leaving my brain with an aftermath of conflicting emotions and reasoning.  Such is my life at the moment.  I am left with the overwhelming question: "What am I doing?"
    Two weeks ago, I woke up, closed my fitness-training business, and started up a blog in one swift punch.  All throughout the day I was high on passion, feeling fulfilled and complete.  I acted without hesitation or remorse.  I was riding the poetry of my soul, without a care in the world. The next day, however, my inner-ego kicked in.
  "I'm deleting my blog." I said to my husband as I paced nervously around the house, searching for anything to distract me from my insecurities.
"Here we go," He mutters under his breath.  (Yes, it's not the first time my leap first/ think later approach to life has left me in this predicament.  He was prepared). "What are you freaking out about now?"
"I'm not freaking out.  I just don't want to do it anymore.  I wasn't thinking." I said, scouring the counters for something to clean.
"You are a nut." he replied. "Cuckoo for Coco-puffs!!"
"Don't dirty up my mental breakdown with your pseudo-food!" I charged back.  (Okay, I admit I'm a little imbalanced).
"Fine.  Why do you want to take it down?  You love writing."
"Well, I did, but.... I don't know."
"You are acting like a scared little kid.  Look at you.  What is the big deal?"
"I don't know what to write! I'm not that interesting, and I really don't know what I'm doing! I'm just trying to figure life out like everyone else. This was a stupid idea!"
"I thought you said you didn't want to plan it.  You were just going to write whatever you felt like writing for the day."
"I know, but... I might suck."
"You won't suck.  I bet you have gotten an A on every paper you've ever written."
"That's different.  Your teacher gives you an outline, you fill in the blanks, and you get an A based on how well you follow directions."
"I don't remember it being that easy."
"Well... I don't feel comfortable knowing that people are reading it. I've always just written for myself."
"You said this was for yourself."
"I know what I said!! And it is.... but..."
"Are you scared of sucking, or are you scared of people reading it?  Because if you suck, then nobody will read it."
"I am much more comfortable with that than the alternative."
"The alternative being that you are successful? Do you know how crazy you sound?"
"Yes.  I don't need you to point it out.  Leave me alone in my moment of self-torture...  I'm going to go workout."

Today's workout:

WARM-UP

1 mile run
15 squats/pushups/pullups/dips
30 situps
10 toes to bar- controlled drop
10 assisted ring pullups to stomach
5 ring pull-throughs with negatives

SKILLS

PVC snatch warm-up

First with a 30# bar, then 50#:
Overhead squat
Hang snatch
Snatch press
Snatch balance

5 snatches (70#)

TIMED WORKOUT

For 10 minutes, complete the following:

Odd minutes: 6 power snatches (70#)
Even minutes: 6 clean and jerks (70#)



Finish: 
work on consecutive muscle-ups
Yoga

     "Midline stabilization is always the first thing to go when you set off on a run.  For that reason, you must be careful to remember each step in the posture checklist.  Make sure your midline is stable, maintain a neutral head posture, and keep your arms bent at 90 degrees with your shoulders externally rotated.  Even if your mechanics are not up to par, simply maintaining the integrity of your posture will help reduce the onset of fatigue and keep injuries at bay."- Brian Mackenzie (author of Power, Speed, Endurance)

Today's Workout:

WARM-UP

1 mile run

25 walking lunges

25 pushups

25 butterfly pullups

25 V-ups

6 Turkish get-ups


30#, 50#, and 80#
5 front squats
5 hang squat cleans

10 Deadlifts (120#)

5 Deadlifts (140#)


TIMED WORKOUT


4 rounds

10 Deadlifts (150#)

400m run

     Roast chicken is a common menu item in my home.  Not only is it one of the more affordable forms of organic meat (Our local Costco sells a double-pack), but it is simple to prepare and comes with the bonus of both organs and bones, which can be prepared separately for additional power-packed nutrient and health benefits.  The only difficult element in the preparation is having a 2 hour block of time at home while the bird is roasting.
     I start by removing the organs from inside the chest cavity and adding them to a quart (roughly) of boiling water on the stove-top.  I add salt and pepper and let it simmer, covered, on low while the chicken roasts. Garlic and herbs may be added as well.
     I place the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan, rub the skin with oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and my herb of choice for the evening (Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Allspice, and Fennel are favorites).  If I have fresh herbs on hand from the garden, I will gently loosen the skin from the breast and stuff whole sprigs inside instead.  This will keep them from burning during roasting, and add direct flavoring to the breast-meat.



Whole chicken with fresh fennel

     That is the extent of the preparation- easy!  The chicken roasts, uncovered, at 375 for roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes.

     In the meantime, the organ broth can be used to steam vegetables, adding flavor as well as important vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to the meal.  One of my favorite combinations is made with carrots and green cabbage.
     To keep some variety in our menu, I will also often use this broth to make a gravy.  To do this, I add vegetables (such as mushrooms, celery, onion, garlic), simmer on low for approximately 30 minutes, then throw the entire mixture (including organs) into a blender.

 The vegetables and organs will thicken the consistency of the broth, eliminating the need for flour.  Adding in some of the drippings from the roasted chicken will strengthen the flavor.
    If the finished product is too thick, I simply add water.  If it is too thin, I return to the stove-top and simmer it down until it reaches the desired consistency.

Organ meats are among the most nutrient-dense foods available.  I have included a chart from Dr. Mercola highlighting some of these important benefits:


Organ Meats: The Superfoods of the Animal World

Organ meats offer a rich mélange of nutrients your body needs for optimal function, in concentrations hard to find anywhere else. The most significant ones are outlined in the following table.⁷

High quality protein	B complex, including B12 and folate (folic acid)	Minerals, including a highly bioavailable form of iron
Fats (especially omega-3 fats8)	Choline (another B vitamin, important for cell membranes, brain and nerve function, heart health, and prevention of birth defects)9	Trace minerals such as copper, zinc and chromium
Cholesterol10	CoQ10 (essential for energy production and cardiac function; potent antioxidant; animal hearts offer the highest levels of coQ10)	Vitamin D
Vitamin E (circulation, tissue repair, healing, deactivation of free radicals, slowing aging)	Pre-formed vitamin A (retinol)	An unidentified “anti-fatigue factor”
Purines11 (nitrogen containing compounds serving as precursors to DNA and RNA)

    
Don't forget to save your bones! 

     "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of god.  Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Marianne Williamson


Today's Workout:


WARM-UP

800m run

15 pushups/squats/pullups/dips

100 double-unders

50 situps

10 turkish get-ups (53# kettlebell)

10 kettlebell swings (53#)

10 thrusters (30# bar)

SKILLS

1 minute wall handstand

25 handstand pushups

Parallette handstand pushups

Parallette free-handstands

2 max sets ring dips

2 max sets ring pull-throughs

max muscle-ups (strict)

max muscle-ups (kipping)

3 max Straddle-L holds on rings



WORKOUT

AMRAP (As many rounds as possible in) 7 minutes

15 thrusters(60#)

5 strict ring pullups



FINISH WITH THE 26 POSES OF BIKRAM-STYLE YOGA

Working up to the parallette handstand pushup.

                                                  

      I am feeling back on-track today and ready to continue working toward my new goal.  All of the hours spent silently on the sidelines watching boy's gymnastics brings continuous inspiration to my life. For the past 6 months, I have had the same vision playing on repeat in my mind. I have memorized every step, broken it down into components and logically deduced a clear path to reach each one.  The only thing stopping me is that voice deep inside insisting that this is ridiculous.  Really?  Who do I think I am?
     


 

     As the food coordinator and head chef of a high-energy Paleo household, I am constantly searching for ideas to include as many vegetables as possible into our meals.  This tends to be most difficult at breakfast time with short time-frames, less energy, and finicky taste-buds.  One of my easy go-to secrets is to sauté in bacon.  The grease absorbs into the vegetables, creating a strong uniform taste that mellows the natural flavors of the vegetables.  This makes it easy to throw in whatever diversity is on hand and in season.
     The high content of fat in these dishes can make for a slow-burning, heavy-sitting meal.  For this reason, I do not consider this an ideal pre-workout energy source, but it is perfect for keeping satiety for those long days out of the house!  If it still feels too heavy, pour some of the grease into a container before adding in the vegetables, and save it for use in another meal.

     Simply fry up the bacon.

     Adjust the amount of grease and add chopped vegetables (I like to put them through the slicing blade of my food processor).  Stir-fry until they reach your preferred consistency. Add seasonings if you wish. I usually add a little salt, pepper, and a handful of chopped, fresh, in-season herbs before serving.

I use whatever vegetables I have on hand.  It is a great way to get down our least favorites, enjoy the pick of the season, or clean up all of the random bits in the fridge and garden. 

This picture is purple cabbage and turnip with Italian parsley.

Today’s workout:

WARM-UP

1 mile jog

15 pushups/pullups/squats/dips

50 situps

3  5-second L-sits from bar hang

WORKOUT

4 rounds of:

10 overhead squats (30# bar)

10 ring pushups

10 toes to bar

 

Finish with a 2 minute plank

 

This is my “coming back” workout, so I kept the conditioning light.  Last week, I got a little too excited over a new fitness endeavor, and ended up needing to give my shoulder a week off.  Lesson learned.  Slowing down seems to be the theme of my life this past year, and it has proved to be an excruciatingly difficult task!

"By three methods we may gain wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest;  Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." - Confucius


It has been a long time since I have sat down to write anything more than a Facebook blurb or a college essay.  When I was younger, journal writing was one of my favorite pastimes and I would spend hours filling pages with the days activities, observations or feelings.  I would philosophize life and its meaning, reflect on past experiences, and dream about the future. In fact, nothing came easier to me than getting in touch with my feelings and pouring them poetically onto paper.

But 15 years passed, and my life became full of activity and busyness.  Writing took a backseat to marriage and family, and my brain became focused on collecting knowledge so that I could help guide and enrich the lives of myself and the people around me.  I began trading in my novels for reference and technical reading.  I scoured site after site on the internet, trying to decipher through the mountains of information and misinformation.  I frequented You-Tube demos and became a career college student.  I wanted to learn everything.

These past three years have brought an abundance of change.  My years of reflection and collections of knowledge began to manifest into ideas and dreams.  I have come to realize that true enrichment is deeply embedded in experience, and all of the knowledge in the world is useless without having the courage to step out of my comfort zone and learn to embrace failure as a means to growth.  

Today, I feel rusty, awkward and out-of-place as I search for the words to express my mind.  I am fidgety and uncomfortable laying myself out so openly for the faceless audiences of the cyber-world.  And honestly, I am not sure what I wish to share with the world, or the future intentions of this blog.  I am just taking a leap into the unknown. And for today, that is enough.