Time to forget mishaps

After the great weekend I had I decided I needed to get on a bike again. 

5 years ago I took my vitamins, drank some juice, skipped breakfast, put on my helmet and strapped on my camelback filled with water and I jumped on my bike to ride to my friend's house to babysit her daughter. I didn't make it to my friend's house. Instead I stopped one mile from my house at a four way intersection at a red light where I became very light headed. I reached for the spout of my camelback and took a quick sip. The next thing I remember was picking my bike off the ground and walking to a sidewalk. A man in a caltrans truck yelled to me and pulled over. I said I was okay but I wasn't aware my head and face were bleeding. He called an ambulance. I didn't want to go to the hospital, but I took the medics advice and went anyway. They ran some tests cleaned the gravel out of my knees and knuckles cleaned my forehead injury and told me I was okay to leave. I didn't ride my bike very much after that day.

I got off work and went for a ride in beautiful morro bay. I was trying clip in pedals for the first time. They weren't as scary as I thought they would be that is until I went to begin riding a muddy dirt trail and couldn't get my foot out so I fell. I got that same light headed feeling and I got really scared. I used my EMT training and put my head down. The feeling was my body's natural defense mechanism kicking in saying I was hurt somewhere and that's how it was coping. When I looked to see where I was hurt I had to laugh. My hand hurt a little and I had a little blood blister on my middle finger where it had landed on a tiny piece of gravel. I gave myself some time and jumped right back in the saddle and had a great ride.

I then made sure to hydrate and I headed to crossfit. I had a great hard workout and am happy with my progress. I know not only has crossfit helped with my running but I know it will help in my mountain biking too as I increase my strength training.
I was able to do 65 pound power cleans tonight.
I am so grateful for my health and my life and the ability to just choose to be happy and to continue to grow and strengthen myself in all that life throws at me.

Take some time away

I just spent the last few days at a mountain bike race event with a really amazing new friend.

I had forgotten how much I loved camping and how much I loved not having a single thing to worry about.

We arrived Thursday evening and set up the trailer in a nearly perfect spot. I say nearly perfect because the following morning the port o' johns were set up directly across from where we had parked the fifth wheel. Friday morning we moved the fifth wheel to another spot which I thought was just as good and it had a hole that was great for the fire pit. I enjoyed gathering a large pile of sticks and placing them in the hole for the fire. I enjoyed being by the fire that evening and just staring up at the full moon in the sky and just reflecting on all that life has to offer. My friend started the barbecue and made salmon burgers. Of course I loved them I think they are one of my new favorite foods.

Saturday morning I got up to watch my friend do the cross country race. I was so amazed at his abilities and skill level. He placed second in the cross country and only missed taking first place by .02 seconds. I was so impressed by each of the bikers dedication to their health and their fitness.

I took some time away for myself while I was there and I did a crossfit workout. It was an incredible workout just being outdoors in the beautiful atmosphere I was surrounded by. I have been absolutely amazed at my strength since I began crossfit just two months ago. Anytime something gets hard or I don't want to react negatively to a situation I now say to myself a crossfit woman is physically, emotionally and mentally strong!

Sunday I went to watch my friend do the short track which he placed first in but got shorted a lap due to the wind gust that blew all the canopies all over the track and meadow. I then did a hiking/jogging interval workout up to the downhill course. That was amazing and so many of the views as I was hiking were absolutely breathtaking. I watched my friend start the downhill race and then I did a downhill run of my own. I went at my max and sometimes 80% of my max the entire downhill road back to the campground. It took me 22 minutes and I felt great.

I can honestly say this was one of the most enjoyable weekends I have afforded myself in a very long time. It was just great to be surrounded by great company and I felt really spoiled the entire time I was camping.  I also enjoyed getting to know some of the campers around in the area. 

Time for no excuses

Today I posted that excuses are the difference that lie between the successful and unsuccessful individual.

Today I didn't make any excuses. I donated a pint of blood. I ate a good lunch. I drank gatorade and went to a crossfit workout although it wasn't advised to exercise until 24 hours after donating blood. I wanted to test my limits. I came home and ate an even better dinner.

I posted my goals in January and I wanted to gauge where I am at in terms of how I view myself successful or not.


Have a support network

Accept accountability

Complete one competitive run monthly

Utilize the gym at home

Utilize down time at work for stationary strength training

Drink water and plenty of it

I feel I have excelled in each of these areas. I was blessed to find crossfit which made it  not neccessary to utilize the gym at home in the garage. Instead I have made a goal to attend crossfit at least twice weekly and three times weekly when I don't have my Thursday running group meeting. I have seen and felt improvments in my running through the strength training I have been doing. Crossfit in and of itself is a great support network. I don't know any other gym where I would have one of the trainers sending me a message asking if I was okay because he saw me leave a little early and he would validate my frustration that my body didn't allow me to complete the entire workout. I have not been able to compete in one competitive run monthly. I have no excuse other than my work schedule and finances got in the way. I have however continued to improve on my personal best on my 2.5 mile run each month. I have also been able to utilize down time at work to do some travel workouts of the day. I have had to set that aside because of my studying for an EMT exam this upcoming Friday.

I am hoping to succeed in scoring in the top 10 and securing myself an invitation to the physical agility portion of the EMT exam. I really want to see what I've accomplished and more than anything I want to prove that I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself. After successful completion of the written exam and physical agility I will be invited to an oral interview where I will then either be selected from a small number of candidates or I will be asked to try again at a later date.

All in all things are looking up and I am trying to keep a positive vision of my goals!!!

Time to wake up

Here's the Devil versus Angel on my shoulders battling this morning.

Angel: you can get up and go to crossfit it is hard, but you will feel better.

Devil: you can show up late you're only going to pick up the textbook that was left there for you anyway.

Angel: someone sacrificed their time to leave you that textbook and do you really want to live with the guilt you will give yourself for skipping a Friday crossfit wod?

Me: okay Angel you win I'm getting up and getting out the door.

Thank goodness for that Angel on my shoulder or should I say pillow this morning.

The crossfit workout today was hard but fun. I really want to be able to do an unassisted pull-up by the end of the year.

I left crossfit and went for a beach run.

I'm really proud to say I reached my February goal. I'm going to have to kick it up a notch to reach my March weight loss goal, but I'm determined I want to finally feel content with who I am and where I am.