Practice Takes Humility

Today was the close of the 2012 CrossFit Open challenge, a 5-week event which allows athletes world wide, at any level to participate.  In other words, it's an opportunity to "see whatcha got" or to progress to a regional event, if you are elite. The workouts demand stamina, strength, and willpower. Each challenge was fair and well thought out to allow participation at any location that houses barbells, a wall, and a bar to hang from. 

This year marked my self re-initiation into CrossFit, a world which I had taken for granted and forgotten how much I love it. Last year, after the Open, I decided to train for and run a marathon, "it's time to test my limits and do something different," is what I rationalized. Really I think that I just needed to step away in order to have a yearlong journey of athletic attempts and challenges, which would re-instate the appreciation that I have for CrossFit. It's all about finding your strength. By strength I mean, what gets you going; what makes you excited to perform; and what keeps you coming back. See I signed up for the marathon because I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I actually trained for the marathon more out of fear (of race day!). I knew I could run it, even with minimal training, because of willpower. But...I also knew it would be crazy and hurt really bad to not train for it. The Navy SEAL motto is "the only easy day was yesterday." If a SEAL can live everyday with this attitude, then, as an abled bodied athletic chick,  I can run 1 marathon. And I did.

Ok, back to the 2012 CrossFit Open.

I competed with CrossFit DC (CFDC), where my CrossFit life began. Have you ever had an experience, gone somewhere, met someone, did something, tried something; and knew your perspective would never be the same? July of 2007, I hadn't found my workout groove yet. After the workout, I laid on my floor for a couple of hours, completely spent; but exhilirated. ("If I could only move, I'd go celebrate") Like so many CrossFitters, I was totally hooked after that first workout.

After the marathon, I didn't feel that way. I felt relief; "thank goodness it's over, maybe I'll do another in 5 years." With CrossFit, it's a different story. I can't wait for the next workout, no matter how brutal of a workout the current day brings.

Competing with CFDC there was a wide variety of athletes, ranging from seasoned veterans to newer model CrossFitters. Although their were many levels represented, but there were 2 unifying factors:

Encouragement and support....no matter what

You could complete 3 reps of a workout (my personal performance in workout 12.5) and the team is there to high-five, say "good job, you did awesome"....and guess what? They mean it. It's not a pity good job. It's a good job, you fought for it, I'm glad to be in the gym with you.

Practice takes humility

In workout 12.4, you had 12-minutes to get through as many reps as possible of 150 wallballs, 90 double unders, and 30 muscle-ups. For real, I thought I would fly through the wallballs with a couple minutes to spare and make a big dent in the double unders; but I completed 113 reps. Coach Chris (who holds each athlete to a high standard), called "no rep" on me probably 25-30 times. If I used profanity, this would have been the workout for it. But I don't. Even with the "no reps" I still wouldn't have made 150 wall balls. It was humbling (to say the least!). Chris is a great coach and I appreciate that he holds me to a high standard with each workout. I don't want to skate by or kid myself into thinking I'm better than I am. In this case, the tough coaching really translates to belief; it's not bringing me down (nor should it bring you down), its showing you that you can do better. Humility is powerful and it can drive you to be better.

Another part of support and encouragement is that everyone expects you to:

Do more than you think you can

Love this. It's like in week two. The workout was to proceed through a sequence of snatches (for girls: 30 reps @ 45#, 30 reps @ 75#, 30 reps @ 100#) and complete was as many reps as you could in 10 minutes.  I knew the 45# wouldn't be a problem, but I had never snatched 75# before, only 65.. Before my heat, Sara made a huge point to set me up with plates for the 100#, because she was convinced I would get through the set of 75#. Now I knew I wouldn't, but because she believed in me, I knew I had to snatch that 75#. And I did. Thank you Sara.

The last principle I will cover today is the will to:

Push yourself

In workout, 12.1, we were called to do as many burpees as possible in 7-minutes. My goal was 70 (10 per minute). Coach Tom Brose, founder of CrossFit DC was my judge on this one and I still remember his coaching, "trust me, don't stop on the ground, pause after the jump," "don't stop" (this was probably recurring!) This was brutal, and the first time I have really felt burpees in the legs, because it was so continuous. I was able to do 72 (actually surpassed the goal!). I believe that the coaching to "push myself" had a lot to do with this. Seven minutes is a really long time to continuously do burpees. On my own, 72 would not have happened. Thank you Coach Tom!

There are so many other stories and inspirations from CFDC folks and other affiliates. I would love to hear them! 

Alright, let's apply this to life (my favorite part!)

The focus today is "practice takes humility." I consider the above a great testament to this. It would have been so easy not to participate in the open, because I knew my fitness level was not at it's best. But guess what? I decided to suck it up (hard to do), be a little bit humble (harder to do), and just do my best, for the moment I am in. It wasn't pretty. It was even frustrating at times. But today, now, after this 5-week experience, I must say, I am stronger mentally and physically, and can't wait for the next challenge (in life, in business, in workout, whatever).

Apply this to what you do, who you are, and what you want to get better at. Have you opened yourself to show the weak side and dedicate yourself to getting stronger? I know there are areas of my life that I haven't applied this too..yet. Being humble is really a showcase of strength. It's a statement (maybe just to yourself), that you accept where you are, but you make a commitment to drive forward to be better. To get what you want.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "the calm before the storm"

Humility is the calm, success is the storm

(a good storm: strong, dynamic and forceful). Sorry Oklahoma & Kansas roots; I love storms :)

Can you be humble in one area of your life this week? It's not easy, but it's worth it.

In health & prosperity,
Monica

Stressed? Try something different

For the last three days or so, I've been putting loads of stress on myself. Last night I had a dream that I ran 100 miles down a dark street encountering all sorts of intense obstacles (it was a long night!)

This kind of stress is common for those of use with a strong personality who want everything done now and perfectly. We put pressure on ourselves to perform and have something to show for it... Right away!

Yesterday I prayed that God show me my next move. Where should I focus? Am I doing the right things for people, for their goals, for my goals. Am I doing what You want me to do? You don't have to be spiritual to have these thoughts. We all experience this fro time to time (even if we are on the right path). We can be on the right path and and doing the right things but we don't have perspective on the end point of what the next encounter will be. The message I got yesterday was, "you start and don't wait for results; things don't happen immediately."

Ugh!

Ever hear something and know its true, but don't want to address it?

Welcome!

For me, I think and reflect best on a trail, outdoors, whether it be running or biking. Driving is another way.

Today I tried something new. I ran my usual trail, but decided to listen to intense classical music during my run. As is common, I wiped out once and almost fell backwards down a rockface once, but I ran the trail faster than. I've done this year and felt totally alive. With songs like Lux Aeterna or, its easy to run to the notes and feel powerful.

Got some great thinking in and a much needed stress relief all because it as something new. The path wasn't new, but the info going into my mind helped stimulate the good brain cells :)

Today I was running toward something as opposed to away from something as in the dream last night. Win!

Everyone will be different, if you've ever felt like the above, try something different, even its simple.

Conceptions & Truth about Genetics

Can your genes really tell you how to lose weight effectively?

For those that don't know, I am partnered up with Inherent Health, which provides genetic testing in the areas of weight management, bone health, heart health, and nutritional needs. I love the company because it takes the guesswork out of trying to figure out what's going on inside your body. If you have ever tried a diet and it didn't work, or tried another and it did, but it was hard to stick too, this program is really great because it eliminates the question of, "is this diet/exercise program right for me?!!" Talk about a pressure release. Click here for a couple of success stories.

There are 3 statements that I hear often from those who have taken the weight management genetic test, so I wanted to address them here! Feel free to comment or ask a question and I'll do my best to get a good answer from a reputable source.

To give a little background, the genetic test evaluates five different possibilities, 3 for diet (carb reducer, better balancer or fat trimmer) and 2 for exercise (moderate intensity or high intensity).

Conception: As a moderate-MET exerciser, I won't lose weight or get a benefit from high-MET exercise.

Truth: In simple terms, a moderate-MET exerciser can do any exercise (it still should be a bit challenging though) and get enhanced results. If you love high intensity exercise (like me!), you absolutely can do it as a moderate-MET exerciser and get even better results that just doing light -moderate exercise. Don't limit yourself, because you think that you have to keep it moderate.

Check it out: News report on the science behind the genetic test. By the way, the report says that the test is $169 (I get a discount to $150, so let me know if you haven't taken it and you want too know more)

http://dailyswab.inherenthealth.com/2011/09/16/wjxt-in-jacksonville-fl-has-a-story-on-the-weight-management-genetic-test


Conception: I am a high-MET exerciser and I can't get to a high enough intensity to get results and make exercise worth it.

Truth: High intensity is totally relative to your fitness level. If you are new to exercise and really out of shape, high intensity exercise could mean walking up a steep hill. If you are currently a moderate exerciser, it could mean stepping it up a notch and adding interval training to your workout, increasing your speeds, or increasing your weights/speed in the gym. Figuring out your workout and how to make it high-MET is highly individual.

Conception: As a carb-reducer, I need to cut out carbs from my diet.

Truth: Carbohydrates are super important in the diet and are one of the main energy sources that our body uses. As a carb-reducer, it is recommended that you consume around 45% of your calories from carbs, which is significant. Keep in mind this can come from whole grains, and fruits & vegetables.

Check this out: No Diet Fits All
http://dailyswab.inherenthealth.com/2012/02/08/no-diet-fits-all/

It may mean switching up your morning bagel & schmear for a greek yogurt and a cup of fruit or eggs with veggies, or maybe it's swapping your favorite pasta dish for a piece of salmon or fish and a couple cups of roasted veggies. It does not mean that you can never have a bagel, or a potato or a plate of pasta again, it just means that you should control your calories from carbs and not make this types of meals your go-to.

Check it out: Tips for your genetic makeup; easy switches to make!
 http://dailyswab.inherenthealth.com/2011/12/14/eat-this-not-thatthe-daily-swab-approach/

In Health,
Monica

Almost Doesn't Cut It

Today was a fun day at the gym. It was week three of the CrossFit Open.  I have to admit, I want to have this type of challenge 52 weeks a year, and am thankful for the upbeat and encouraging environment at CrossFit DC.

Today's workout was an 18-minute workout, for as many rounds as you can of 15 box jumps, 12 push press, and 9 toes to bar.

Toes to bar is just like it sounds, you basically hang from a pullup bar, and touch your toes to that bar. Going into it, I knew that toes to bar would be the biggest challenge for me, as I have never really properly done them, nor practiced them much. To be honest, in the past, I have kind of let myself slide a bit with it, convincing myself that I don't need to get good at them.  Why? Because the are really really hard for me. This is a silly reason, one I'll put my hand up and admit, move on, and then go conquer them.

So you're probably thinking that I'm now going to tell you, I started the workout, had an amazing performance, and hit all my toes to bars. Nope. 

I watched a lot of other people rock the workout, speeding through 5, 6, 7 rounds. I did the box jumps and the push press, and then a fun16-minutes and 50-seconds of attempted toes to bar. Not a round! It was hard work too. Somehow I created 2 blisters (small ones), and opened up a callus (for the first time during a workout) on both my hands. I attempted who knows how many of those toes to bars. A LOT of them were close, like less than an inch from completion, and I  was going all out.

The workout wasn't frustrating, because the way my perspective is, I got 16-minutes and 50-seconds of straight coaching on how to get better at this exercise! Admittedly, the box and barbell looked a little lonely, and it would have been so much more fun to jump and push press, but this was needed.

It was also good that Chris didn't let me slide through with "almost toes to bar." I got 5 full ones. A few that were literally 1/4 inch away from the bar, he didn't count. For real, I am thankful for that. In 2011's CrossFit Open, either toes to bar or knees to elbows (a little easier) appeared in one of the workouts. I can't remember which, because I didn't even do knees to elbows; it was like "feet off ground; good." Skating by doesn't teach you anything, nor does it help you get better. It teaches you that you can skate by.

"Almost" doesn't cut it (even in the little things).

"I almost got that job" or "I almost paid my cell phone bill" or "honey, I almost want to marry you." Can you imagine?!

It's easy to forget that accomplishing something is a process. That instant success (at anything!) is kind of silly and not really long term. You can have instant success at something, get excited, and then forget about it, because it didn't  really change you. If you could already do it, or it wasn't hard, it's forgettable and eventually it doesn't mean much. In a great book called The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olson, he says that doing things that will make you successful are easy to do AND easy not to do. Let's all agree to just do the hard stuff and get it over with. 

Today was not a failure in the bad sense of the word failure. It is a chance to learn, improve, and get inspired to do better. Just this week, I was reading about Sara Blakely, the creator of SPANX and now America's youngest female billionaire at 41. She says that growing up, every night at the dinner table, her dad would ask her what she failed at that day. Doing this, he took away the fear of the failure, and encouraged her to seek out failure, in order to be successful. She did pretty good with that advice!

What Do You Say To Yourself?

"It's what you wear from ear to ear...and not from head to toe....that matters" You may recognize this line from the classic musical, Annie. I used to sing this song ALL the time growing up and it always perked me up! Let's go a step further and declare, it's way you SAY and HEAR from ear to ear that really matters.

It's what you think about.
It's what you think about what you're thinking about.
It's thinking...period.
It's about thinking good thoughts.
About having positive and great expectations for the outcomes of your situations.
It's about building yourself up.
It's about speaking that you are capable. And worthy.
It's about telling yourself YES I CAN.
And...I WILL.
It's all about what you tell yourself.

This topic actually greatly summarizes the purpose and meaning of "the well with all." What you speak about yourself not only to yourself, but to others can greatly affect outcomes and opportunities in your life.

A couple of weeks ago, I was training a friend. We were doing a 1-arm push press with a dumbbell. I handed her a 15 pound dumbbell (which we had never done before) and said, do as many as you can. She did 18 (and really she stopped because she had counted 15). We had both underestimated her capabilities. On the second set, I gave her a 20lb dumbbell with the same instruction. She struggled and couldn't seem to even press one rep. I said, "just get in 6 (reps)." All of a sudden she was superwoman and did it right away, with perfect form. I asked her why? She said, "I thought I had to do 15 again and I didn't think I could do it, but 6 seemed possible." Wow.. how often do we limit ourselves, based on how hard we think something is going to be?

On Saturday, we had workout 12.2 in the CrossFit Open. You did 3 sets of 30 snatches, increasing the weight with each set, and a timecap of 10-minutes. The second set prescribed a weight that I had previously never accomplished with this particular exercise.

Prior to my heat, one of the girls, whom I've seen grow into a suberb and determined athlete over the last couple years, seemed to believe that I would get to the third round. For some reason, I was being compared to these super-strong girls, and placed in a similar category. Now whether they were doing this too encourage me that I could definitely make head on the second set, or if they actually believed I could get to the third, I am not sure.

My brain was saying, "Have you seen me lately. I'm not exactly super-athlete material right. You are seeing something I am not right now."

But it did motivate me and encourage me that I will be better as I continue to get back in gear with my training (I will admit, I am SO much less sore this week than I have been in the past few weeks!)

Got through the first set no problem. 
Got 1 rep at the second weight and was thrilled.
Failed over and over for the next 2-3 minutes.

It was frustrating, because I knew I could do it and I knew my own mind was getting in my way.

Suddenly, I had a revelation and this is literally the conversation I had silently with myself:

"Monica, you said you could get one and that was your goal. So you got 1. You're failing now, because you only set the bar at 1. Other people think you can do 30. You know you can do more than what you are doing. Picture it, get set, go."

Guess what??!!

I hit the next rep.

Amazing, you might say. But truthfully, not really. I just got my mind right.

So my message today is well and simple:

If you are failing and you don't know why, check what you are telling yourself about yourself. Are you speaking victory over your goals, or defeat. Pour the right information into your brain and it will drown out the negative and the nay-say that might try and tell you--you can't.

Who Do You Listen To?

The other day I had a moment, that was potentially the difference between life and death, or life and major injury. In a non-unique scenario while walking to the metro, I crossed 3 lanes of a 6 lane road even though the walk signal showed a red hand.

When I got to the center median, there was a woman on the opposite side of the street (my destination) that was waving frantically for me to continue crossing. A little odd, especially considering she wasn't crossing the street herself!

Upon first glance, it appeared that it was safe to cross. As I was processing this strangers encouragement and resisting the temptation to blindly listen to her, the cars in the left lane (immediately in front of me), began turning left. If I had listened to her, I would have been hit by a car, and no-less an SUV.

Now do I believe this woman's intentions were good. Yes. Do I believe she was genuinely trying to help me cross the street and give me proper guidance. Yes.

But...it doesn't mean I should've have listened. Imagine what would have happened!

In this scenario, my coach was the red hand on the light pole, warning me to wait until the little silver man showed me it was ok to walk (and even then, you need to filter it through a brain cell, to see if the cars surrounding actually are paying attention to the silver man too!). The silver man is credible and has a good track record of ensuring that his pedestrians receive the proper signal to walk or wait.

Obviously, I am being a little dramatic here, but it proves the point that, it's important who you listen too. Sometimes you may get "guidance" that has the best of intentions but is still the worst advice for you, in your situation.

A coach, with a vested interest in your success, can help guide you to making the right decisions for your life, your health, your future. A good person can be a really bad coach for you, and it's important to know the difference.

If you have a real goal, it's important to find someone who's been there, has accomplished it, and can then teach you how to do it too. For example, I've run distance races (5k, 8k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon), so I am pretty confident that I could coach you to run a distance race, if you've never done one before. Now if you are an elite marathon runner and want to improve your time, I'm not the coach for you. If you want to participate in a triathlon, I'm probably going to refer you to a colleague who's completed those types of races.

Now to throw the monkey wrench in...you can have multiple coaches; EVEN for the same goal. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you could have a personal trainer who guides you with your exercise program, you could have a dietitian or nutritionist who helps you with your diet, and you could have a friend who has lost weight and can give you encouragement, and set your mind right.

I encourage you to take the time to think about your goals, and then think about if you have the right guidance to get to them. Are you moving forward on your goals, or are you narrowly escaping getting hit by a car (symbol disaster) on a daily basis? Here's a hint ( and I've been here many many times!):

If you are constantly playing defense in your life, you are simply surviving, not thriving. Start playing offense and you will move swiftly toward the goal.